The Melancholy of Miss Suzumiya
by MadameHedgehog
Summary: Kyon only witnesses so much of the overall adventures of the SOS Brigade. This is a series of retellings of the original stories from the perspective of various characters.
1. The Melancholy - Chapter 1

Prologue

When did I stop believing in Santa Clause? In all honesty I feel like such a question is rather difficult to answer when taken seriously. How exactly do you respond something like that? If you asked me when I stopped believing there was an old man in the North Pole who worked only on Christmas Eve, I guess the answer is I never believed in his existence. Even as a child I knew it was impossible to circumnavigate the globe on a species of reindeer that doesn't even exist, delivering presents to children everywhere through some omnipotent power of foresight. I think all children realize at the very least that such a story is ridiculous and impossible by normal standards, or is otherwise not a very bright child.

Deep down though, I never stopped believing in the magic of Christmas though. As much as I knew that Santa Clause can't exist in the normal world of logic, a part of me has always held onto the hope that there was a world full of exceptions out there. Of course, for a long time, I was perfectly content with my own life, so I never went off in search of this world where the unknown is commonplace. As wondrous as it seemed, such things weren't necessary to enjoy life. At least, I thought that was true.

You may be asking what happened since my childhood. Well, the simple answer is: I grew up. Although I began to learn just how unsatisfying our plain world was and the idea of a realm filled with magic and mystery grew to be more fabulous, deep down, I still knew it was pointless. Unfortunately, if you asked me how I felt regarding aliens, time-travelers, ghosts, monsters, and espers, all things from the fictional world of cartoons and books, I'd say my childlike optimism never existed for one second. I guess I always knew that even if such people existed, the chances of me getting involved were nonexistant.

Still, it doesn't hurt to try, right?

Maybe I could be walking home from school when an alien spacecraft crash lands on Earth to prove me wrong. I'd spend the next several days trying to convince myself I was having a dream while a floating green man begged me to help him fight a galactic warlord heading towards my town. Or maybe a fellow classmate would reveal him or herself to me, telling me that our school is secretly a front for criminal masterminds, hiding out in refuge as teachers and students in between heists, possibly from as far as the Amazon jungles.

But wait, calm down, is this even possible? Of course not! I can't believe how stupid I'd have to be to expect something like that to happen. If aliens were about to invade the Earth no armies would believe a high school student carrying around what appears to be a toy. Why would thieves of magical trinkets hide out in schools and why would they come to me? Even if such events happened, it doesn't sound enjoyable at all. I could get hurt, or worse! On the off chance that the world is in peril chances are very great that any worlds relying on someone as inexperienced as myself wont be saved from any impending doom. It's childish to think otherwise.

Unfortunately, imagination is cruel, and no matter how much logic and reason I apply to the situation, I can't help but think how much better my life would be if I were to suddenly be attacked by aliens, or taken on a trip through time, or fight giant monsters in an alternate dimension. I am well aware the danger should concern me, but perhaps that's the price you pay for getting out of this boring world us humans live in. Life wouldn't be exciting without any risks after all. It's an adventure, right? Right?

After junior high school these thoughts only grew to overwhelm me. Any hopes of my logic holding me back have long since vanished. I vowed to be more than just a normal, carefree high school student, which is why I continued on, asking aloud if there's any excitement out there. The world was ready to answer me with a flat no, but I wont let it give me such a boring answer. It came to recognize such an answer as perfectly acceptable. That is, until the day it met Suzumiya Haruhi.

* * *

><p>Chapter 1<p>

Suzumiya Haruhi you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

Well I for one don't have time for negative thoughts today, so if my mental insecurities could shut up for one day I could go about my business without any problems. Why the hell should I listen to thoughts that only hold me back? Today I will absolutely put the first step of my plan into action and nothing will stop me.

My goal for this school year is simple, to search for any unusual activities or people at this school. Sounds reasonable, right?

If I had taken my time getting ready for school I could've already observed some more students on the climb up this hill to my new school, but there's obviously not as big a crown currently since most other students are probably still cursing time itself for letting another school year begin or slowly preparing long and hard for another boring day as part of their daily routine, practicing how they plan to introduce themselves to their new classroom full of potential friends.

Oh, by the way, Suzumiya Haruhi, that would be me. I spent the last three school years at East Junior High and am now attending North High School for reasons I can't quite discern right now. I do well in school, receiving excellent grades and performing sports and physical activities with ease, and I managed to fit into this school's oddly chosen sailor uniform rather well. I am just your ordinary girl.

Just who the hell would find any of this interesting? This intro is boring!

You may be wondering just what it is I'm after, but in all honesty I'd settle for anything that isn't this. My day has just begun and already I've encountered enough high school cliches to last me a lifetime. I'm not an idiot. I know very well that this is 100% normal, and if I just sit here then I can expect to encounter more ordinary things like this the rest of my life. Whoever's in charge of setting up people's lives is absolutely lazy and I wont stand for this!

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself though. I have realistic expectations that my goal of finding strange activity is low, but I'm bound to find something if I keep looking right? There's a sort of anthropic principle behind these things that something can't exist because nobody's around to observe it, so by beginning my observations, I'm increasing my chances and almost guaranteeing that I'll find something no one else is looking for.

And so I marched up the hill to my new school. Arriving early you can expect to see a slightly different school than the one that would come barging in any minute now. A few other students like me woke up at the crack of dawn, getting ready for the new school year and wandering the halls, catching up on what friends from last year will be in their class and the like. It was your typical scene. How dull.

I met a few teachers, but they all seemed busy. I'll get better opportunities to meet them by the end of the week, so no reason to bother them when they're in such a rush to prepare for when their new class comes in right?

I noticed there were quite a bit of younger looking teachers. Maybe because I'm a high school student now my standards of youth have changed, but from how many I've seen I get the feeling this school merely can't get their hands on any veteran teachers.

I met a fresh out of college teacher, eager to say hello to any new student she meets, as well as a younger man buried in his paperwork, probably getting some last minute work done. Of course, the occasional older teacher would come out and tell me to stop barging into classrooms for no reason. It seems I shouldn't expect much from this school's staff.

This leaves me with students, as I somewhat predicted, although looking around my hopes weren't high. Still, it takes an interesting student to force themselves up early on the first day of school. I know there were students of interest here in the past. There had to have been. And history must repeat itself sooner or later.

I eagerly paraded down the halls, establishing my prediction that I'll probably know my way around the halls before any other incoming first years. I observed every student I could find. Some glanced at me with a warm smile or inquisitive look. Most carried about their business, especially as the crowds grew and more students made their way up that slope, which could easily tire out a less healthy individual.

Unfortunately, I found nothing of interest in my initial search, nor was there anything special said by the principal as he bored all incoming first years to death in the welcoming ceremony. I made my way to classroom 1-5, where more and more ordinary students walked in, ready to be introduced to the new school.

"Welcome to North High. I'll be your homeroom teacher. I am Okabe-sensei."

The man in charge of 1-5 gave his fake sounding welcome, signaling that the first class session has officially started. There was some dribble in there of his likes and interests, although I wonder why anyone would include a sport as tasteless as handball on top of their list. I doubt anyone would take him up on his offer to join any handball clubs.

Okabe-sensei seemed professional, especially compared to the young-eyed students in their simple uniforms. I've got nothing personal against sailor uniforms, but when the boys are given nice jackets you kind of set a standard that can't be matched by a simple outfit as the one I was wearing now. This clearly isn't a very high class school though, so there was no point complaining about how formal the uniforms were.

Most students sat quietly, waiting for our sensei to finish his speech, although it felt like he was eagerly awaiting the end of his chat as well.

"Alright, how about we start by introducing ourselves."

One by one students would stand up and give the same introduction you'd come to expect from a typical high schooler. Eventually, the student in front of me gave his own boring rendition and was seated, leaving me to take my turn next.

I stood up. I had one turn to say this right so I wasn't about to screw up.

"My name is Suzumiya Haruhi. I graduated from East Junior High. I'm not interested in normal humans. If there are any aliens, time travelers, sliders, or espers in here, come find me. That is all."

And this is where my plan would be finished had I been born in a more convenient lifetime. My message has been sent out to everyone, and in an optimal scenario I'd be approached by someone willing to share their strange qualities to someone as curious as myself.

The response was disappointingly that of shock by everyone though. Some gazed at me with looks of uncertainty, although I'm fairly certain I didn't stutter. Then there were those who gawked at me like I myself was an alien. If that were true I wouldn't be wasting my time with the likes of you now, would I?

For the next few days I was generously patient. You see, when dealing with strange matters like this you must be pretty subtle. In the beginning I was approached by many classmates and curious students wondering if the rumours of the strange girl in 1-5 are true, and I'm sure former classmates from junior high have had their fair share of gossip introduced to North High. Ignoring the useless chatter and questions brought on by everyone, I focused on doing everything I could to bring stranger people to me.

Now as much as I'd like to know about what's out there, I'm no more of an expert on paranormal activities than your average high school student, a fact that frustrates me to no end. I can't exactly go on any efficient searches for powerful psychics or unknown spirits if I don't know where to look, so my first priority is to make sure I get noticed first. I'm absolutely certain that out of the many eccentricities I could do to attract the attention of strange beings some of them must be true, and the only way to find these is by trying every possible activity I can to increase my chances.

Experiment #1: I must join every club that has a possibility of having any unusual members in them. Paranormal clubs are the obvious examples, but this also includes clubs that would normally require a large amount of passion or strength from ordinary humans such as sports or organizations. A normal human wont join the Baseball Club unless they were into baseball, but to an alien or esper, baseball is mere child's play. They should be easiest to spot in clubs like these.

The results were disappointing to say the least. Even I was better at these activities than the regular human members, and any club with an optimal name turned out to be greatly misleading. The Mystery Study Group should study mysteries, not books that merely tell mystery stories. Taking clubs nobody would expect me to take proved to be just as pointless. It seems as if every banal activity imaginable attracted the exact same crowd. What kind of normal teenager joins a sewing club? This was a complete waste.

Experiment #2: Inspect every classroom and remember any students that stand out. Wasting no time, I am to go searching the halls and classrooms every day in between classes. Lunch time is especially important since that's when most students are most relaxed and likely to show signs of abnormality. I admit, I found some unique faces, but whenever I found one they always turned out to be a dead end upon further investigation. Just an interesting face with a perfectly normal backstory. It seemed everyone in this school had normal interests and no concerns with overcoming the boredom that has plagued us all.

Needless to say, my own classroom had nobody special either. By the end of the first month just about everyone has given up on making small talk with me. No more girls trying to become my best friend by asserting their own selfish interests on me. No more boys making failed attempts at flirting with me by trying to butter me up with useless questions. I heard a couple boys from my junior high classes have already warned their fellow testosterone laden perverts about me, so I think I have less to worry about in that department.

There was one problem though, and her name was Asakura Ryouko. I have no idea where this girl gets her confidence from, but everything about her just screams affection. She shows strong leadership skills and uses a strong yet gentle voice, making the boys fall head over heels for her while all the girls become her loving army of friends. By all means, she'd be a rather remarkable human if not for the fact that she stubbornly refuses to let a single hand go unshaken, and after a few weeks it seems I was the only one left to be added to her wonderful list of acquaintances.

Whenever there were complaints about me you could bet Asakura was in the lead and always eager to bring me to her justice of normality. Whenever it's time to change for PE I get bothered with her dumb request to wait for the boys in the class to leave before changing. Why the hell should I care about any of them? Our precious Miss Asakura clearly has no troubles escorting these fine specimens of the males of our species outside on her own, so why should I always be on the receiving end of her judging eyes for inconveniencing a classroom of students that have no qualms wasting my time with stupid questions.

Asakura by herself was no real problem. The real concern was the fact that she served as an unfortunate beacon of hope for everyone. Although my troubles with the students of 1-5 have been reduced I still get an annoying pesk bothering me, and why wouldn't they? If Asakura wont give up then they wont either, right? This class was obviously not working well for me, but unfortunately, my experiment of searching other classrooms suggests they're the same as well. This is…unacceptable.

Of course, I never expected much from my early experiments of merely looking blindly for activity. Like I said before, my true goal was to have strange activity find me. This brings me to our third experiment: alternate my hair every day. I followed a simple premise; each day was assigned a number and colour. Monday is yellow and zero, so I would let my hair down untied with a yellow headband. Tuesday was red and one, so I would use a red ribbon to tie up my hair in a single ponytail. Wednesday had my hair tied up into two ponytails in a wonderful blue colour. This patten continued with Thursday being green and three and Friday being gold and four. I had a hairstyle for every day of the week but I had to follow a clear pattern for my searches at school.

This was of course how I met him proper.

His name was [Kyon], but to tell you the truth I never bothered to care about his name at the time. I may have even forgotten it if you asked me to recite it at random, but I, along with many others soon came to know him as Kyon. I had no idea how he managed to get such a ridiculous nickname attached to him, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't find it interesting. Of course, by this point I had learned he had the same personality as everyone else, one that would rival a doorknob in terms of character, so a mere name wasn't much to care about.

I bring him up though, because against all odds he managed to prove I wasn't the only one making observations.

"Do you change your hair style every day because of aliens?"

Just what was he getting at? Aliens. I never had any specific groups in mind when doing my hair of all things, it was just something to make me stand out. Sure, aliens would notice me better if I followed unusual patterns, but that applies to everyone else who might notice me, including astute students.

"When did you notice?" I interrogated.

He stared at the ceiling, apparently having to think for this question. I guess that means he didn't notice just now and blurted the first thing that popped into his head. He's actually put thought into this. I wonder what else he's noticed.

"Hmm, a while now. At least I think so, because you seem different to me every day."

Well I'm sure he'd look different too if we added ponytails onto his head. Is that really all though? I explained my process in about as much detail as I thought was necessary. This was when I got my first look at him.

He wore a face that showed genuine curiosity. Most guys were obviously just asking me questions to get to know me better and make small talk, not caring one bit what the answer was. In fact, I think this Kyon was guilty of the same thing our first week of school. Well this new look in his eyes has earned him another chance I suppose.

His appearance wasn't anything special. Not that I care, but he wasn't bad on the eyes, though I wouldn't exactly call him very handsome. His usually dumbfound expression was often accompanied by his effortless hair, combed over just enough to avoid being messy. If I searched his home I'd probably find the bare minimum of grooming supplies for a young man his age. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

[Kyon], or just plain Kyon, was without a doubt a completely normal first year high school boy. You could tell absolutely that there was nothing special about him, so I have no idea what brought me to ask him something I felt I already knew the answer to.

"Have I seen you before? A long time ago?"

"Don't think so."

And before I could question my loss of reason any further, Okabe-sensei entered the room and my conversation with "Kyon" was brought to a halt.

Of course, this was only the beginning. I know that now.

The first thing I did after school was get my hair cut. I saw no reason to continue changing it daily. Not only was it a pain, but it was beginning to get warm, especially with that long walk up the hill to school, so I'd rather let my hair stay short once the summer started showing signs of creeping up on us unsuspecting victims. Besides, if an ordinary human noticed my activities the way Kyon did, I think the experiment was a success. Any unusual activity at school must have seen me by now. I'm absolutely sure of it.

This didn't go unnoticed, as Kyon felt the need to demonstrate his observations the next day.

"Why did you cut your hair?"

Cause I felt like it, why else? I thought he was only interested in bringing up yesterday's discussion again when presented with the sight of my new shoulder length hair, but to my surprise he only continued and asked about my other experiments.

By this point most students have heard about my activities, but few have actually talked to me about it. It seems Kyon's the only one with the sense to avoid talking about useless subjects dumbed down for their own sake.

This was no isolated incident either. By the end of the week it became clear I've made it into Kyon's daily routine. Whether this was a bad thing or not tended to alternate. Even Kyon wasn't able to come up with something interesting to say every day, and I wont hold it against him or anyone else. If the best you can muster up is small talk though then I'd prefer you just leave me alone today like everyone else.

On days where Kyon actually managed to think up something of greater significance than the usual subjects of TV or the weather I had no problems talking with him. I have no obligation to acknowledge any boring questions, but it would be rude of me to ignore any questions that show actual thought put into them.

One thing I didn't appreciate though were the smiles Kyon received whenever he'd spark a conversation with me. Honestly people, it's not hard to talk to me as long as you're not acting like a moron. There's no need to treat this guy like your hero for accomplishing such a feat.

One time he even asked me for club advice.

"I'm considering joining a club. Are there any that are more fun than others?"

There are no clubs that are worth joining, obviously, but I never knew quite just how to answer these types of questions. Just what was he looking for? If I didn't join any myself what makes you think I'd find one you'd enjoy yourself?

There are none. Absolutely none.

To be honest these daily chats with Kyon had a polarizing effect. On one hand it was nice to have some sign of intelligence, regardless of how flawed it could be, but on the other I'm constantly reminded of my failures. Here I thought I'd have some increased chances of finding true mystery in high school, but everything's just as uninteresting as it always was, and having to explain that to Kyon only made these facts impossible to avoid.

Kyon would often disagree though.

"Well what gives you the right to decide if a club is normal or not?"

"If I like a club then it's unique."

"I knew you'd say that."

Just what was that supposed to mean?

This pattern with Kyon continued a while. I never quite understood his intentions. It seems he just wants to hear me talk sometimes.

Direct questions about my junior high school years dealing with all those dumb boys giving me confessions all the time received an equally direct answer. Hell, I'd settle for anyone if they were interesting, boy or girl. What body they happen to be born with is a pretty minor detail. You'd think it would be obvious I didn't care about that sort of thing after turning down the Asakura brigade's request for "decency".

After indirectly giving Kyon my boring life's story I had regretted letting this habit continue on a semi-daily basis, but it couldn't last forever.

Eventually it was time to change seats, our new monthly ritual. It's been fun Kyon, but I think we've exhausted every possible discussion we could have regarding which of my traits you find interesting or not.

I thought this before I picked a number which led to me being seated right behind a certain young man. I'll let you guess who it was.

Well, Kyon, after spending the first month of school with the back of your neck serving as my primary view it seems this isn't over. What wonderful insights do you have for me today?

"I think it can't be helped if there aren't any mysteries."

This day in particular was a wonderful chance to vent my frustration at the lack of strange things happening. I'm very disappointed that this one boy is the most interesting thing to happen to me in the past month. My standards should never be low enough to accept Kyon as anything resembling a victory.

"Usually humans are content with their state. Those that aren't will just invent something to change that state. Someone wanted to fly, so they invented airplanes. People wanted to travel more easily, so we have trains and automobiles. But these things were created by people with talents. Only a genius can make these imaginations a reality. We ordinary mortals should just live our lives. No need to act impulsive just because you act adventurous."

"Oh shut up."

I shouldn't have expected any better from Kyon. To think he'd expect me to settle for being a normal mortal girl. Who's to say I'm not one of those geniuses who invented a new reality?

As much as I hate to admit it though, he does have a point. My experiments provided no results and I've yet to make any changes in normal high school life for anyone, let alone myself.

Maybe I really am just an ordinary mortal, but that can't be my only option can it?

Say I want to make my own imagination a reality. If I'm not satisfied with the way things are, I can either accept it, or change it myself. I can't fly over the gap without first inventing a flying machine, but am I genius enough to do something like that?

Really, I found that I've been doing the opposite of what Kyon just said was the trait of a genius. I never made any changes, nor did I invent something. I looked at what was already there and hoped something unique and new would find me instead, but if I want to succeed, I need to make it happen myself.

I can't find any unique people, so I must invent them myself right? But how do you invent a person? Perhaps it's not people that are the problem. Right now there's two groups, ordinary humans, and something else. If I'm not willing to create my own group though, what makes me different from these normal humans?

I can't just change the rules though. Nobody will care if I classify everyone into three groups: one for humans, one for aliens and espers and the like, and one for myself. I'll still just be the same, a useless girl who can't breach the gap between mere mortals and the gods that await us. I need something more.

I don't want to be normal, so I must take action into my own hands. By myself I'm just a plain and ordinary high school student, but what's stopping me from becoming more? Kyon seems smart enough. He notices things and is capable of proving not everything that comes out of someone's mouth is idiotic dribble. If the two of us exist, there must be more right?

And there's my answer. By myself I'm just an ordinary human. I'm no genius capable of revolutionizing the world, otherwise my attempts so far wouldn't be such a miserable flop right? I can't expect things to just come to me, I need a reason. I need a group that will be worth joining for all things interesting.

If I found no one interesting in the existing clubs, then I must make my own.

That's it though. It's that simple. My own club. If it doesn't exist yet, then I'll just invent it myself. I'll become the genius that is needed to change the world. If I don't, then who am I to complain when nobody else does? Kyon, I never suspected I'd say this, but you are a genius!

"I got it!"

I can't believe I never figured it out on my own. I can't believe Kyon had the answer this whole time. If it doesn't exist, I'll create it myself!

"Create what?"

"A club!"

Kyon just stood there rubbing his head and covering himself for some reason. Kyon, this was your idea! I understand now! You were right all along! Why aren't you more excited?

"I'll talk about your idea later. Right now you should consider where we are first and then we can share your joy. Calm down."

Calm down? I've been waiting all month for something like this to happen. How can I calm down?

"Class is still in session."

My senses regained, I noticed I've caused a bit of commotion. Well you can't exactly blame me for not paying attention when I just had the epiphany of a lifetime.

"But I have more important things to worry about…"

I reluctantly sat down in my seat. I'm not even quite sure when I stood up. Our young looking English teacher just stood there fumbling to regain her composure.

"Um, so, continuing with the lesson…"

I saw Kyon give me one look of concern before tilting his head back at full attention with the teacher. I don't know how he can think of English at a time like this. I was lucky enough to think up this idea and I have to put it into action.

I'm going to start my own club.

It wasn't hard to figure out who my first co-club member would be. After class I grabbed Kyon's hand and brought him with me. I wandered these halls enough times to know where's the nearest private place to talk.

As I walked towards a small spot outside the Art Club leading to the roof I couldn't help but feel excited as I received those strange looks from people stumbling to get out of my way. By now I'm used to people avoiding the crazy girl rushing towards who knows where, but today was different. Today I had Kyon.

I expected Kyon knew exactly what I was taking him along for, especially given how much he loves making observations. He should be proud of having the honour of being my first companion. No longer will I have to search the halls alone. I have another, and if there's one student here that interests me, there must be more out there somewhere.

Of course, Kyon's not perfect, so maybe he hadn't put the pieces together. As I held his hand I could sense a bit of warmth from his sweaty palms. Maybe he's not used to walking so fast. I never see him at school early so I assume he takes his time getting here. Or maybe he's not used to physical contact with a girl. Kyon, for such a genius you sure can be an idiot sometimes.

Whether he figured it out on his own or not I still have to explain things properly though. Once we reached our destination I let go of his hand, sensing the little tingles that came from our nervous systems touching go away. Before he could pull away I grabbed his tie and brought his face close to mine.

"I need your help."

"Help you with what?"

I don't recall being this up close to a boy's face recently, but it was close enough to tell he was nervously trying to weasel his way out of my clutches with his questions. Letting him go I decided to continue.

There's no backing out now Kyon, I need you!

"I need you to help me make a club!"

"Okay, then tell me, why should I help you do something you just now thought up?"

Why? This was your idea Kyon! I never expected this boy to be so shy. Honestly!

"Because I need a room for the club as well as members, so you find out what paperwork needs to be done."

"What club are you trying to make?"

"That doesn't matter! We need to make the club first. After school you find out about club requirements and I'll find us a room."

I half expected Kyon to give me a flat 'No', but my enthusiasm must finally be rubbing off on him. I was considerate enough to give him the quiet paperwork part of the job since he's clearly not very comfortable with more direct tasks. Don't worry Kyon, I'll handle the hard parts, you just focus on making our dream a reality.

With no objections, I could see that our plan was going into action at last. And to think just a few minutes ago I was still moping about my miserable life. I was an idiot! And I'd still be that same bumbling idiot if it weren't for Kyon's wisdom. Oh Kyon, I swear I could kiss you right now! I don't remember ever feeling this excited before.

Almost wishing I could grab Kyon and take him with me down the halls again I managed to leave him by himself to think. He probably needs things to sink in.

As for me, the eyes watching me as I race down the halls were back to their old selves now that it was just me again, but that wont be the case for long. The next class period will start soon, but I had so much to get ready for after school.

I'll show Kyon, and together we can form our super awesome club. With any luck, we'll have our own group of the most absolutely greatest people in the school. There's no way excitement can run away from me then.

Finally, I had a real plan, and it was finally time to get started on my real work. I had a club to make.


	2. The Melancholy - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was lunch time when I began my search for our new clubroom. Having been in practically every clubroom before and inspecting every nook and cranny of the campus I knew exactly what places to check first.

At first I considered an empty room, but I remembered that these rooms are sometimes locked, most likely by some inconsiderate teacher. We'd need someplace more secure.

I know it's not unheard of for clubs to share rooms by some schedule, so if I found a club that doesn't use their room full time, it would be perfect.

My first few tries turned up badly, but I'm used to dealing with rude people. I don't understand what their problem is. I specifically asked only clubs that don't even use their rooms half the time. What's wrong with letting us get the room the other half? I shouldn't even be making compromises in the first place. They're lucky I don't take over the room completely.

It wasn't too long before I found what turned out to be the optimal choice for our new club.

The Literature Club had exactly one member. From what I heard, all the previous members graduated last year and the club would have been shut down had it not been for the one first year girl who joined this year.

Her name was Nagato Yuki, and she was certainly unique. I've run into her a few times in my searches this past month, but it turns out she's only interested in books. As far as I can tell every day she comes up to her lonely clubroom and reads by herself, hardly saying a word to anyone in between.

I'd love to have someone as odd as her in our club, but she doesn't seem the type to be interested unless we let her sit there reading all the time, which will no longer be a problem if we share a room together. She's quiet, so she wont bother us, and we can keep her company whenever she gets bored of just reading. It's the perfect arrangement.

To be honest, I'm not sure why I didn't try her room first. It probably would've saved me some time so I'd be able to eat the lunch I skipped today. Since I don't bring lunch from home I would later have to endure a bit of hunger until after the next class period, but that was a small price to pay.

"Hello there! My name is Suzumiya Haruhi. You must be Miss Nagato."

When I first entered the room Nagato looked up at me. Her short hair was naturally parted so she could briefly stare at me through her glasses. She readjusted them once then looked down once more without asking me anything.

I realized then just how perfect this girl is.

"I'll cut to the chase. I'm planning on starting my own club, but we need a clubroom before we can start. I noticed you have this whole room to yourself, so I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing."

"Go ahead."

"You don't have to worry about us bothering you. If you'd like we'd give you all the quiet space you need so you can read in peace."

"That is fine."

Then it's decided? Is this really all I have to do? Yuki, you're wonderful!

"Alright then! Right now we only have one other member. I'll bring him by after school so you can meet him. I'm sure we'll all hit it off!"

Nagato continued reading, giving me her silent approval before I was free to leave. Perfect! I got myself a new club and very likely a new member. Even if Nagato refuses to join right away I'm sure she'll change her mind once she sees how much fun we're having right in front of her.

Before leaving I noticed the bookshelf off to the side. Aside from the small table in the center this bookshelf was mostly all there was in the room. Clearly this is the most important thing to all Literature Club members. I can respect that. It gives me most of the club to decorate myself. Plus the bookshelf makes the place look more articulate.

From the covers I saw a wide variety of books. I wonder what kind of stories Nagato prefers. For all I know she only reads cheesy romance novels. What if underneath her librarian exterior is someone who doesn't like exciting adventures, or worse?

"Nagato-san, what kind of books do you like?"

Without hesitation she holds up her book cover to show me her thick sci-fi novel. Does that mean those are her favourite? Nagato, we must be kindred spirits. I bet you often go asleep at night wishing you could witness a real life alien, or hang out with a robot and teach it how to love.

Don't worry Nagato. If this club works out then who knows, maybe someday you'll be serving tea to a being from another planet. You'll be living the life you've always dreamed of!

"Nagato, you don't have to worry any more. I'm here, and I promise my club will be everything we could ever want. Let's have lots of fun, together!"

The bespectacled girl remained speechless, having already given her full attention to her book once more. She didn't look up, but I could tell my words rang true in her ears. Today was a bigger success than I could ever imagine.

I excused myself and left Nagato to her peace and quiet. For the rest of that day I probably failed to absorb any of the knowledge my teachers attempted to send into my brain through osmosis. I was much too busy thinking of what to do with my new club, and it was nothing I couldn't learn on my own later on.

I found out from Kyon we'd need five members in order to start a new club. We're already halfway there! I'm sure Kyon's super excited to get things started as much as I am.

I sorted through my memory banks for anyone else we could ring up. Sure, I thought everyone was worthless, but look at me now! I'm planning to start a club with two people who I probably would've dumped into the "everybody else" category this morning.

In the course of one day Kyon went from being a slightly above average nobody to the smartest guy I know. A quiet girl I've only met in the hallways before now is on her way to becoming my new best friend. Who knows who else I was wrong about.

Later, after school, I was ready to show both my fellow club members what I've gotten together so far. For the second time today I was holding Kyon's hand as I pulled him behind me with excitement. Feeling the warmth of someone letting me guide them was a surprisingly pleasant experience. He certainly didn't feel as sweaty and nervous as before. That's my Kyon, finally getting in the mood for some quality club making!

I led him to our new club room. He was quick to study the "Literature Club" name tag above the door. He obviously wasn't sure what to expect but I'll show him just how capable I am.

"Here it is. From now on, this is our clubroom."

I beamed him the biggest smile I could muster. Take it all in Kyon. This is our new clubroom. Did I do good or what?

"Wait a second, what is this place?"

The Old Complex of the school was a fairly old building, as evident by all the cracks and worn down rooms. It contained art and music rooms for various clubs, as well as various miscellaneous clubs without a regular room for their own. As I explained to Kyon, this Literature Club is the one person club that failed to get cancelled here.

"Then they haven't been cancelled yet!"

Don't worry Kyon! It only has one member and she's more than willing to let us stay here. By this point she's more a member of our club than her own. One member is practically no members even.

"Then what about that girl?"

I see Kyon's noticed our first new member. I didn't take Nagato for the shy type, but maybe she's slightly nervous like Kyon was. Aside from flipping the occasional page on her book (wow, she reads fast) she hasn't budged one centimeter since we entered. She looked kinda cute the way she just sat there with her petite figure in the corner.

"Don't worry about her. She said it's fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I already asked if we could use her room during lunch time. She said it was fine. She's happy so long as she can read in peace. I guess she's pretty weird now that you mention it."

Nagato's silence was all the approval I needed to know I said the right thing.

Kyon paused to get a good look at our odd new clubmate. He seemed almost mesmerized by her delicate fingers sliding seamlessly along her sci-fi classic, gulping at the sight of our perplexing mysterious girl. A fellow odd one out like us.

"Nagato Yuki."

Our silent new friend finally introduced herself to the young man eyeing her. Maybe she couldn't handle the embarrassment of having a boy stare at her for so long without any interruptions. Her emotionless voice confirming that she does indeed have a pulse seems to have broken the ice.

"Hey, Nagato-san. This girl wants to use your room for a currently unnamed club. Is that alright with you?"

Being one to take charge Kyon wanted to make sure everything was settled. Go ahead and ask your questions Kyon, I already handled everything. The young lady who was once again painting a world in her head with words will answer just as she did for me. I told you I did it, Kyon, so now you can see for yourself I mean just as much business as you do.

After Nagato gave Kyon her quick "Yes" without letting her eyes off her book Kyon continued his interrogation. He sure is thorough. I can tell I can rely on him as well.

"It might be troublesome for you."

"That doesn't matter."

"You might even get evicted."

"Please feel free."

I can see these two are hitting it off. With everything cleared up that settles our little introduction.

"Okay then its decided," I announced. "From now on we'll meet in this room after class. You better be sure to show up or you're good as dead!"

I'm honestly surprised Kyon managed to nod his head in agreement. If I were him I'd have trouble taking myself seriously with the blooming smile I couldn't suppress. Everything inside me felt like a chilling breeze at the start of Spring and I just couldn't hold any of it back. I almost asked Kyon to pinch me just to make sure I'm not dreaming some magnificent dream.

I felt like we've made more progress in one day than I could ever hope to achieve. Of course, Kyon seems to have had higher expectations.

"So we have a clubroom now, but we still haven't made any progress on paperwork. We don't have a name for our club or even know what kind of activities it will have."

I appreciate Kyon's thinking ahead, but we really should focus on more important things first. We need more than just three members after all. We must recruit at least two people first.

I told Kyon not to worry. I got us our very own Nagato Yuki and she's already become an irreplaceable member of our group. That whole day I considered who could be interesting enough to join and now that our initial planning is finished I think I know just who to turn to.

"So that's it," I beamed once more. "I think that's all that needs to be done for today. Thanks again for letting us have your room Nagato. We'll be seeing you tomorrow. Come on Kyon."

I almost reached for Kyon's hand again before realizing I don't have anywhere else to take him after this. He excused himself to Nagato as well and we both walked down the stairs. We saw a few students walking around to their clubrooms and doing various activities, but on the whole the school seemed rather peaceful now.

Despite our leisurely pace though, Kyon was staying behind. I was actually a bit curious what he was planning to do after school. I walked slower in case he wanted to ask me any questions. I was secretly hoping he'd invite me somewhere so we could discuss more details for our club, or maybe even offer to walk me home. If any other boy asked to escort me to my own home I'd think he were some kind of joke, but Kyon's obviously different.

He said nothing though. Maybe the reality of what had happened hasn't sinked in yet for him. He had no way of knowing this morning he'd be starting a club with Suzumiya Haruhi after all, and although he's been quick to point out what hasn't been done yet, I'm sure he's a little impressed by what I managed to accomplish so quickly.

By the time we reached the shoe lockers it was clear Kyon was ready to leave on his own. That's fine though. Maybe he does his best thinking when alone. Or maybe he wanted to rush home and finish his homework so he could spend the whole night thinking up ideas. Come to think of it, that wasn't such a bad idea, so maybe taking another detour with Kyon wasn't such a great idea.

"I'm so excited for our club now, aren't you?"

Kyon gave his best shrug and let it be known he has no idea what to expect. That's kind of a good thing though isn't it? Nothing's more exciting than the unknown.

I said my goodbye and Kyon, probably sighing in relief, was left behind to do his own business. I was ready to march my way home, anxious to get tomorrow started.

And I knew exactly what to do for tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Let me tell you a little bit about Asahina Mikuru. At first glance one might confuse her for a voluptuous angel sent down from the sky to judge whether mankind is worthy of further gifts from the gods. Overhearing as many conversations as I have it wasn't long before I heard of this second year beauty that was the star of every boy's wet dream. For lack of a better term, she was moe.<p>

Miss Asahina had quite the slender figure. Petite, delicate, sometimes towered over by even first year students. It was all topped off by the babyish charm emanating from her face. Her childlike beauty beamed from her gracefully and was noticed by everyone, and from what I heard, her innocence wasn't merely on the outside either.

The lovely Mikuru-chan was a sweet pea to behold, friendly and considerate to everyone, making even her female classmates secretly desire to make her their bride. She was also very shy and nervous, easily flustered. Had I not known any better I'd say she was ripped straight out of a romance manga as a potential love interests catering to fans of all things moe.

Oh, and I haven't even gotten to the best part.

Underneath Mikuru's well fitted uniform was obviously the body of an idol. There wasn't a single curve of hers that could be sealed off from mortal eyes completely. She had just the right hip shape leading down her petite yet full legs.

Every day Mikuru's hair looked like it had just been through an expensive salon ritual. Her beautiful long hair shined brightly in the sunlight, leaving light traces along her chestnut locks, looking perpetually smoothe.

And then came the star attractions. Although she had quite the figure, it was all proportional to her small stature, which wouldn't make it hard for her to pass as a junior high student even. The one major exception though was the nice pair of breasts hanging off her chest.

By this point I've listened to at least half of the male students of North High, and all the ones in her classroom, discuss her beauty, and although most had the common decency not to shout out their attraction to Mikuru's breasts, it was clear to anyone who's seen her what thoughts would go into the minds of a typical high school male upon seeing the same view.

Call it jealousy or secretly appreciating the finer aspects of the female anatomy, but I myself have payed attention to her assets. I think the allure behind them isn't in their size, but rather the fact that such a youthful looking young lady can have such a small, slender body and yet be accompanied by a chest bigger than even some of the adult teachers of the school. Needless to say, my own breasts could not compare to hers.

Now you may be wondering just why someone like myself would gush over such a fetish inducing sight. To be honest, aside from appreciating the beauty of such a lovely girl, appreciated by just about everyone else lucky enough to lay eyes on her, there was little else to Mikuru that seemed interesting enough for me.

Sure, she was pretty, but it would take more than a nice pair of boobs and a pretty face to qualify as "interesting". Before now she was just an average student brought a little bit above the boring threshold whose companionship would serve no purpose for me.

But now I have a club to think about.

Assuming the gears in your head are turning correctly, it shouldn't be hard to figure out just what an asset a girl like Mikuru would be for my club. Merely describing her as I just did would be enough to make anyone weak in the knees, drawing attention to anything Mikuru does. And that's just the effect our club needs if it wants to attract new members.

In the simplest of forms, Mikuru would make the perfect mascot. She was cute, attractive, had a wonderful personality that made everyone love her, and just being around her a few minutes made you want to shower her with affection at the realization that our lovely Asahina-san was the real deal.

On top of that though, my experience with Yuki-chan has taught me that there exists a good possibility of there being another lost soul underneath that cute exterior. Sure, Mikuru-chan seemed at times to be everyone's friends, but just what was she getting out of acting friendly all the time? Maybe deep down she also wants something more. Something exciting. She's the perfect fit for our club!

"Asahina Mikuru?"

After school I allowed Kyon to go on ahead and wait for me in the clubroom. Before entering I had made a quick detour to the classroom where I knew I'd find our new member. I'm assuming some students recognized me, since they did nothing but stare at me with a look that asked "What is SHE doing here?" Others were nice enough to point out the person I just called out, although I obviously didn't need help identifying her.

A quick look and it was clear that this was our future mascot Mikuru-chan. Her small figure was in the middle of putting away her things, temporarily snapped out of her absentminded performance of her daily tasks. She nervously looked in every direction as all eyes now fixated on her. I'm sure this wasn't the first time.

"Wha- I'm Asahina Mikuru. Can I help you with something?"

Did I hear that right? Her voice as soft as a bell just gave off the perfect vibe! There's no way I'm letting this one get away.

"Hey there! You're coming with me."

"Wha….huh?"

Before she could resist I had grabbed Mikuru and dragged her off. A few male students tried to step up to her defense, but I told everyone I'll take good care of her.

This classroom was further away from the clubroom than mine and Kyon's, so I had more time to enjoy the feeling of being watched with someone in tow.

Of course, Mikuru's companionship wasn't quite the same as Kyon's. Unlike my more calm clubmate, Mikuru was wildly tugging at my arm, resisting the force pulling her down the halls as she yelped like a chihuahua, constantly asking where she was being taken. For her sake I pulled harder and rushed us towards the room that would have all her answers.

"Sorry I'm late! Took me some time to catch this gal!"

With our dramatic introduction, I set Mikuru free to the clubroom where it all began and the welcoming eyes of Kyon and Yuki. While I turned to lock the door I could tell that my club members #1 and #2 could see right away why I had to have this new girl join us.

"W-what are you doing? W-what is this place? W-why are you locking the door! What do you want with me?"

Well that's no way to talk to people. She's been here five seconds and she's already abandoned her inside voice. I quickly shushed her and gave my introduction to Kyon (and I'm sure Yuki was paying attention, even if she didn't look it).

"Allow me to introduce Miss Asahina Mikuru."

As founder of this club it was my duty to break the ice and make sure our members got along well. My hope was for Mikuru to relax once she saw we weren't bad people, but I forgot to take Kyon's inquiries into consideration first.

"Where did you abduct her from?"

You idiot, this isn't an abduction! And be careful how you say that. You're making it seem like abductions are a regular thing for us.

"I didn't abduct her. I made her come with me. She was just daydreaming in her classroom, so I just caught her there. I've seen her around while exploring the school during class recess."

Looking at my catch I saw poor little Mikuru was still looking frightened at me, along with the strange boy next to me who probably scared her even worse. It's easy to forget she's our senpai.

"So?" was all Kyon had to say at first.

"Alright…just tell me, why did you need to find this, erm, Asahina-senpai, correct?"

As Asahina-senpai herself gave a quick nod, showing that we were slowly warming her up to us, I could tell Kyon hadn't caught onto my logic yet. Well no wonder he thought I abducted her.

"Have a look, see?" I said, directing Kyon's attention to her little pouty nose as she backed off. "Isn't she cute!"

I somewhat regretted my decision once I considered the possibility of Kyon being caught by Mikuru's charm. It seems this is his first time meeting her. Maybe If I explained in a way he's more comfortable with.

"I believe moe characters are important, so…"

"Excuse me, what?"

And now I have to explain moe. Well this certainly wasn't going as smoothly as I predicted, but I can tell he's trying. That's what I like about you Kyon. I'll let you off this once, but if you force me to explain everything to you again I'm gonna have to punish you!

"Moe, the factor that turns people on." I figured this should give the general idea of what I mean seeing as any healthy teenage boy should know exactly what moe is after looking at the lovely doll next to me.

"Think of it like this, a detective story would usually have a moe character that appeals to the audience. It turns them on and makes you pity them right?"

I hoped Kyon read detective stories, and maybe he does, because he seemed to stop questioning after my example. Hmm, maybe Kyon has a thing for innocent puppy-dog eyes. Is that why he was so eager to help me? Well there's no time to think about that.

"And that's not even the best part!"

In case Kyon hadn't been convinced it was now time to bring out the big guns. Finally getting a chance to touch Mikuru's soft skin again I wasted no time to do something I've always wanted to do.

"Kyaaa!"

The timid Mikuru-chan froze as my hands slid through to her defining features. My fingers now rested over Mikuru's massive melons. Pay attention Kyon!

"She's so small, but look, her breasts are bigger than mine! A cute face plus large breasts is an important factor when it comes to turning people on."

Just for clarification, up until now I've never given any serious thought into ever doing things like this to another girl. Hell, I never really put any thought into doing any fun stuff with a boy or anyone else. With my first venture into the wonderful world of Mikuru's curves flesh, I can see the appeal behind it.

I can also confirm that sight does no justice to the mounds puffing out under Mikuru's uniform. My hands, which were having more fun playing with these soft breasts of Mikuru's than I expected, had proven to me just how big she was.

The really are big!

I really can't explain the rush I got from such an act. On one hand I was extremely jealous. Mikuru was so cute, so you'd think a girl like me would at least have "mature" charm over someone like her, but on the other hand, they were just so huge! I honestly wonder how they feel to her. Was she enjoying my little playtime? By now I could barely tell what my hands were doing and was just enjoying the soft feel of her breasts jiggling in circles thanks to my magical fingers.

Thankfully Kyon was around to keep my behavior professional. Once I got the point across of Mikuru's size he politely pulled me off her. It was probably best he did before I got carried away. I'll definitely have to learn to cool off in the future.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!"

"But they're really huge. Seriously! Why don't you give it a go?"

"I'll pass."

Somewhat regrettably I forced myself to ignore the urge to grab hold of Mikuru again. It probably isn't as fun if Kyon doesn't want to join in anyways.

"Wait, don't tell me…the sole reason you brought Asahina-senpai here is because she's cute and has large breasts?"

"That's right!"

Having experienced the full extent of Mikuru-chan's power to turn people on for myself, I had no doubts she'd be perfect for attracting attention to our club. And if I had breasts like that I'd love to have someone play with them, so it's the perfect arrangement for everyone!

"We need a mascot character, and she's perfect!"

I turned around in time to see Mikuru finish adjusting her clothes. I apologize in advance for any future ruffling I do to your uniform Miss Asahina. She seemed fine though. I think I even saw her catch a glimpse of Kyon. Was she upset he didn't join in? Maybe she thinks he doesn't like her. Or maybe I did get a bit out of control. I should act professional again.

"Hey Mikuru-chan, are you in any clubs?"

"Huh…y-yes…the Calligraphy Club."

"Quit it. It will interfere with our activities."

With our introductions and playtime out of the way, Mikuru finally got a good look around the clubroom. I think it's working!

"I see….I understand. I'll quit the Calligraphy Club and join your club."

My heart jumped with joy.

"But…I don't know what the Literature Club does…"

"Oh, we're not the Literature Club."

It was an honest mistake on Mikuru's part I would have explained myself, but this time Kyon decided to let his role in the club be known and explain himself.

"We're only borrowing this clubroom for our own activities right now. The club you're joining is a new group that Suzumiya Haruhi's planning to create soon. Right now we don't know what club activities will be…we don't even have a name."

Excellent job, Kyon. It seems he finally understands where our priorities stand: introducing our new members.

"Oh, and the one sitting over there is the proper Literature Club member."

Oh, Kyon even remembered to introduce Yuki. I'm ashamed to admit I forgot to introduce the two properly.

"Oh…well that wont be a problem."

The lovely Mikuru let off her beautiful smile inducing charm for the first time since she entered the room. It looks like we officially have our lovely young lass among our ranks. This is perfect.

Even better, seeing my three new club members finally together proper, it has given me the inspiration I need! Congratulations Mikuru, your buxom body and graceful smile has given me the drive to think of something our club has desperately needed for some time now.

I just thought up a club name.

"Okay, let's hear it, " Kyon remarked in his usual understanding tone.

And so, our club name has been decided and we shall henceforth be known as the:

**S**ekai wo

**O**oini moriagerutame no

**S**uzumiya Haruhi no Dan

Or, the SOS Brigade for short.

Starting tomorrow the SOS Brigade will be open for business. This is the greatest moment of my life! I was absolutely sure that something great could come of this, and I was right. Mikuru, our lovely mascot. Yuki-chan, our quiet literary nut. Kyon, our observant number two that made all this possible. I, Suzumiya Haruhi, vow to make this Brigade one that all three of you will be proud of joining!

"Then it's ready! Looks like we accomplished a lot today! Be sure to meet here after school every day. I'll be waiting!"

And that was how the four of us ended our first day as the SOS Brigade together. Not bad.


	3. The Melancholy - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next day had me waiting anxiously for Kyon at the start of school. I don't ever remember waiting so excitedly for someone else, let alone at the beginning of class. The SOS Brigade has only just now been formed and already I could feel my life improving.

When he walked through those doors I couldn't believe how hard it was not to smile at the sight of him. No time to waste gawking though, I have some serious questions.

"Hey Kyon! Got any ideas for what the SOS Brigade needs right now?"

"Like what?"

My hopes of hearing Kyon's ideas first were quickly shot down, but Kyon's a thinker, not a doer. I've learned not to expect him to do much on his own by now at least. Since he wants guidance though, it's time to let him in on my next plan for a member.

"What we need is a mysterious transfer student."

"Mind telling me what counts as a 'mysterious' transfer student?"

"Any student that gets transferred after the two month period at the start of school counts as mysterious. What do you think?"

"Well in that case maybe their parents got a new job transfer and they had to come along."

Kyon, please tell me you're joking! Such a boring transfer student like that joining the SOS Brigade on such simplistic pretences? That sounds so forced and unnatural to have someone just join like that.

"Then what is natural for you? I'd sure like to know."

Under normal circumstances I'd definitely have an answer to Kyon's question, I just chose not to respond this time because I was busy. Since Kyon doesn't seem like he'd be help with this transfer student thing I had no choice but remain seated once class began and stare out the window. I guess his usefulness wasn't as grand as I had hoped. Don't worry though Kyon, you're still important. I know you're trying, right?

Our transfer student had to be mysterious and provide something no other member has brought to the brigade. After thinking about it, I think I'd prefer another boy. For some reason I didn't like the idea of Kyon surrounded by pretty girls as the only male brigade member. He's still physically a normal teenage boy after all…

On top of my expectations for our next member though, which would unfortunately have to wait for now, I had plenty of short term plans.

Over the next few days I took the liberty of bringing some supplies over to the clubroom. I obviously had to respect Yuki's private space and left the bookshelf intact, but the rest of the room was free space for some portable cabinets, a radio, some cooking supplies and a teapot. You know, the usual things.

Despite all this though, the clubroom was hardly one for excitement. Kyon started off so enthusiastic, and poor Mikuru seems like she's already regretting joining a new club. I guess I have only myself to blame for not making the SOS Brigade a step up from Calligraphy.

Along with those two, Nagato Yuki proved to be a very heavy reader. No matter how much stuff we moved around she never once looked up at what we were doing. Currently I was sitting cross legged on my new Brigade Chief desk since we currently only have fold-out chairs, which on occasion proved to be too much effort over a comfy flat desk. I should be the image of inspiration right now.

We need something to do. Luckily I soon thought of something we could all work on together.

"You know, we need a computer around here, don't you think?"

"What for?"

"In today's age of information, we so need a computer. Going on without one simply wont do."

Kyon merely looked at me with that ever more frequent look of boredom in his eyes while Mikuru merely watched our conversation from the sides. Great, I'm losing them! This simply wont do either.

"That's why I'm going to obtain one right now!"

"Obtain one? A computer? From where? Don't tell me you plan to rob an electronics store."

"Of course not! We're going someplace closer."

As I jumped off my desk and headed for the door I noticed Mikuru's face brighten at the sight of something happening for once. Don't worry Mikuru, I have something in mind just for you, so no more bored faces okay?

I ordered everyone to follow me, but Yuki stayed behind. Technically I don't need her for this, but it would've been nice to have the whole brigade present for our first group activity. Has she given up already? Well I have to change her mind, and quick!

So it was merely me along with Kyon, who was currently holding the camera I told him to carry, and the slightly excited Mikuru-chan, anxiously wondering what we were doing in front of the Computer Club room two doors down from ours.

I needed a genuine reaction from Mikuru, so I couldn't tell her anything in advance, but after whispering the plan to Kyon he gave me a few objections. Apparently he doesn't think it's a good idea, but he's holding the camera ready and didn't say anything to Mikuru, so it looks like he's going to follow me anyways. Such a gentleman, Kyon. I wont let you down!

With my group ready I knocked on the door and made my way in. I know exactly what to do, so everyone just follow my lead.

"Greetings everyone! I've come to collect a computer from you. Who's in charge here?"

The room was full of a small handful of students. All boys. They seem like the type who spend their whole lives in front of a computer, so getting one from them wont be easy. I know how to handle these situations though.

"I'm the club president. Can I help you?"

The guy in charge politely stood up and greeted us. Either this will be easier than I thought of he didn't hear me properly.

"Do I have to repeat myself? Give us a computer."

"What? We can't do that! Because the school doesn't give us enough funding these computers were bought with our hard earned money. We can't just give you one for free!"

Trying to pull a sob story on me are you? Well I think you'll regret that decision soon Mr. President.

"Wait a minute, just who are you guys anyways?"

And there's my cue.

"I am Suzumiya Haruhi, Commander of the SOS Brigade. These two are my Subordinate One and Subordinate Two. I demand you hand over one of your computers to us. No excuses!"

"I don't know who you guys are, but no way! You can buy your own computers!"

And that was all I needed to hear. You see, Computer Club guy, we of the SOS Brigade have ways of getting what we want. Looking over at Kyon to make sure he's ready I saw him reluctantly prepare the camera. Now it was Mikuru's turn.

My plan was quite brilliant really. I don't think I need to repeat just what was so spectacular about Mikuru. Her cute looks and her large breasts were irresistible, so who would question the story of some perverted club president trying to have his way with her?

Grabbing the president's hand and dragging him over to Mikuru I placed it firmly in the one spot no one would believe was involuntary.

"Kyaa!"

"Wha?!"

_Click_

"Another picture Kyon."

Kyon clicked once more and the sound of the shutter snapping was enough to let the two people forced together by my hands know exactly what was going on.

With photographic evidence, any hopes of people believing the Computer Club to be run by a decent young man would be shattered. I'm sure there's a whole army of young men who'd be eager to beat the crap out of the poor sap who let himself get photographed while he groped Asahina Mikuru.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

Already predicting his protests I gently kicked the president towards Mikuru. The klutz, as expected, fell right on top of her.

"Kyon, are you getting this?"

"Kyaa~"

Hearing poor Mikuru's cries brought Kyon to attention. I was worried he thought it'd go too far, but I think he learned from last time that I'm more than capable of stopping things before letting them get out of hand.

Watching the bumbling president blush bright red and fumble his way off Mikuru, who by now was merely lying there waiting for the incidency to end, I stepped back and prepared my next speech.

"We now have photographic evidence of blatant sexual harassment. If you don't want these photos leaked you'll have to hand over one of your computers."

"What kind of joke is this? You forcefully grabbed my hand! I'm innocent!"

"Oh really? Well I wonder just how many people will believe that story."

The president now dusting himself off looked at the whimpering Mikuru-chan, too frightened to do more than sit up off the ground. Don't worry dear, it's all over now. You did an excellent job Mikuru! I'll be sure to reward you later for your good behavior.

The Computer Club, however, had figured out what danger they were in. There was no way they could survive becoming the group that molested the angel Mikuru against her will. Of course they did everything they could to defend themselves.

"My members are all witnesses! They saw I was innocent!"

"That's right!"

"The president is innocent."

"We saw you!"

There was no backing away now. I came here for a computer and I just won my computer.

"I'll just tell everyone you all tried to gang-rape her then."

"S…Suzumiya-san…"

Dammit Mikuru, why are you clinging to my legs like that? If you resist me in front of the Computer Club they'll call my bluff. There's no way my plan will work unless Mikuru's on my side. We already got the photos, do you want what just happened to be in vain Mikuru?

Gently kicking her hands off my feet I tried my best to end this as quickly as possible.

"So what'll it be? Are you giving us a computer or not?"

The entire room, filled with faces still white from my threats was full of a silence that can't be described as anything but awkward. Of course the president was the first to crack under it.

"Just…just pick one and get out."

The president sat down, defeated. Now's my chance to take our spoils and leave. As the other Computer Club members all got up to comfort their fallen leader I looked around. He wasn't kidding when he said they bought the computers themselves. Each desk had a unique custom computer space. I don't exactly enjoy doing things like this on a regular basis, so I have to make sure the SOS Brigade gets its money's worth.

"Which is the latest model?" I asked.

"Why should I tell you….d-dammit! That one."

And now for one last precaution. I've been wanting a computer for quite some time, so I had in my pocket a convenient list of the latest models. To be honest I never expected to do this photo thing today. If we had a nicer way of getting a computer I'd have gone along with it and used this list for shopping reasons, but my Brigade comes first, and it was clear they needed something to do. They might not want to admit it, but this is better than sitting around doing nothing, right?

"I went to an electronics store and asked for a list of the latest models. This computer isn't on the list."

Now that everyone knows I mean business I was free to look around. Eventually I found what I was looking for.

"I want that one," I said, pointing out a nice sleek desktop computer.

"W-wait, no! We just bought that last month!"

Are you serious? I don't want to be the bad guy here you know. These sob stories aren't helping anyone. Kyon, show them the camera again.

"Fine….take it, you thieves!"

And that was how the first mission of the SOS Brigade became successful. It didn't go quite how I planned, but without any new members yet and our clubroom severely lacking in supplies, it could've gone much worse. I'll be sure to thank these guys later, and the SOS Brigade will be glad to repay any favours they need.

Kyon and Mikuru stayed behind in the Computer Club room for a while. It was actually best that way. Since I needed club members to install the computer and set up the Internet cables and the like they often had to go back and forth between rooms. With Kyon and Mikuru in the other room I didn't have to worry about any fishy business going on behind my back.

"What do you even need a computer for?"

Dumb questions from dumb people. These computer guys couldn't stop sulking. Why can't they see it from my perspective? One of my members just got felt up by some freaky looking nerd. Do you honestly think I'd subject her to that and then back off at the last second for some consolation prize?

Once it was all over we were all back in our room, just the four of us. Yuki hadn't moved at all since we left. At least she's enjoying herself. Mikuru was still moping in the corner with Kyon trying to comfort her. Kyon, get off her! I don't think getting touched by yet another boy will help her out much.

"Kyon, come here."

A computer by itself was a big accomplishment. To be honest, I have no idea what half the features on it are even for. A cheaper computer would have been sufficient, but this was no time for settling. Right now we have a new objective, to utilize our computer and create something that will be of great help to us.

"A website?" Kyon asked. "Who's gonna make it?"

"You, of course."

Kyon was obviously bored today, and I don't think he enjoyed our first outing as a group. Maybe giving him a new task would make him feel better and keep that boredom at bay. I think Kyon once asked if I played any games too. That was back when I was ignoring him, but I remembered it well enough to know Kyon might like computers.

"Have it finished in a day or two. We can't do much else without a webpage."

Kyon held his tongue and went to work. At least he knows this way is better than just running around campus looking for people to abduct.

During lunch time the next day I left Kyon to handle the website on his own, and who knows, maybe Yuki helped him. Someone who reads as much as she does must know something about computers right? With them busy, I decided to use this time for cheering up Mikuru.

She didn't run away. That was always a good sign. I think inside her head were the same thoughts as mine. Our adventures in the world of sexual harassment weren't exactly the kind I had in mind when recruiting her, but before that all we did was sit around an empty room bored out of our minds. This was a brigade! We need to make things more exciting.

If there is no excitement, you must create it yourself. Kyon taught me that.

"So do you bring lunch from home or eat in the cafeteria?"

"Um…"

While I was considerate enough to invite Mikuru out to lunch, she didn't seem very talkative. Ignoring my question, all she could do was let me walk her around while we silently enjoyed the lunch period.

"Don't worry, our next event will be less stressful."

All I could do was give her some comforting words and quick wink. She gave a rather weak and definitely fake smile, but the effort was a good enough sign that she'd be fine.

It's hard to believe such a cute girl can be so understanding of things like this. She really is perfect for my Brigade. That's why I can't let her or any other Brigade members down. You have my word, Mikuru.

Back in class my focus had to turn back to Kyon. I waited for a lull in class before poking him with my pencil.

"Hey, is the website done?"

"It's done, but it's a very simple, crappy website."

Well, that'll do I guess. Kyon obviously put the minimal effort into the website. It ended up being nothing more than a homepage with a counter and email link at the bottom. He worked with what he had I suppose.

Kyon asked what I needed a website and email for. If my next plans worked out we'd be getting some contacts soon. I couldn't tell Kyon yet though. That was a surprise.

* * *

><p>Come sixth period class, I was nowhere to be seen. My talk with Mikuru made me realize I had to show her soon that I had more dignified uses for her body than blackmail victim bait.<p>

I don't usually cut class, but I figured nobody would miss me for just one period. I'd be back soon. Besides, I was on campus the whole time.

You see, Mikuru by herself was quite beautiful, but in order to get the most of her charm I'd need something that brings out her sex appeal, which is a problem when she's wearing the same uniform as every other girl in school.

In my shoe locker were some bags, one of which had special costumes I had bought for the SOS Brigade. What kind of costumes? Well, seeing as Mikuru's first task is advertising with her sexy looks, I went with a classic.

As I walked towards my destination I imagined what Mikuru would look like in the lovely bunny girl costume I bought for her. It was a simple design, showing off her legs and some nice cleavage. People will be sure to notice her. And I even bought myself a costume to go with it. I'd look foolish prancing around with a bunny girl after all.

Unfortunately, costumes are expensive. I considered buying a third bunny girl costume for Yuki, but I plan on buying more costumes later on, and my wallet would begin to look like deserted war grounds after a battle has ended if I continued to buy something for everyone.

Of course, I had another bag, which was currently empty. The reason for this was because I had to sneak around school so I could reach my destination. There's no point in using sex appeal to attract attention for nothing, so I had to give out flyers, otherwise people would think we're the Cosplaying Club or something.

I had to write out the rough draft for the flyers myself. There was a photocopying room somewhere in this floor, and, maybe disappointingly, I managed my way there with no problems. By the time I had printed a good 200 flyers (I hope that's enough) classes were already over.

On my way out I narrowly avoided a group of students with a teacher about to enter the room I was just in. If asked about it I was ready to explain that I managed to run to the room when the bell rang and already finished what I wanted to do. My one day with the Track team at the beginning of the year created enough witnesses to make that believable. I can definitely run when I want to.

Unfortunately I was stopped by no one. This school is lucky I'm not planning anything malicious or there'd be nothing to stop me based off what little resistance I'm getting today.

The halls were beginning to get more crowded as it truly became the end of the school day. Boys and girls walked around, talking, heading towards the exits or to their clubrooms. I never thought I'd be doing the same thing as them really, as I was anxiously waiting to show my club members what I had for them.

"Hiya! Sorry I'm late guys."

Everyone was there, waiting for me. Now that I had the supplies our meeting had commenced. I set down the bags and then turned around to lock the doors. Don't want anyone interrupting us.

"Suzumiya, what are you planning for today? I'll be honest, I'm not doing any stealing or blackmailing today."

Kyon this is no time for your jokes. Besides, we got the computer fair and square. Those guys could have easily told the school we were harassing them but chose to politely work by our rules instead. I'd never do anything as cruel as outright threaten them.

"Whatever, I made these flyers to let people know about the SOS Brigade. It took a lot of hard work getting all 200 of these copies done."

Kyon had already moved to the stack of papers I set down from the bag, ready to inspect as always. I clearly wrote out the goals and expectations of the SOS Brigade. Any strange persons or activities will now know exactly where to find us. Across the table from him was the curious Mikuru, quick to notice I had brought other bags with me. Off to the side was Yuki reading her book. Maybe I should've bought that extra costume after all if it meant giving her something fun to do for once.

"Well no time to waste. We have to hand out these flyers!"

"Where do we do that?"

"At the school entrance. Right now there's plenty of students there who haven't gone home yet."

Always the gentleman, Kyon was quick to get up and was ready to follow instructions and carry the bag with all the flyers tucked away nicely for me. How sweet. Kyon's clearly the thinker of the group though, so I wont be needing him for this mission.

"No need for that Kyon, just me and Mikuru-chan will do."

"Hmm?"

After seeing Kyon pick up a flyer Mikuru seems to have wanted to check it out herself, though she hadn't finished reading by the time I picked up the next mystery bag she noticed earlier. I couldn't wait to see the look on her face when I showed her what she gets to wear.

"Ta-da!"

I could see an instant reaction out of Kyon. He seemed to have immediately figured out the unlimited potential of an erotic article of clothing combined with the power of Mikuru's body. The gears in Mikuru's head didn't turn as quickly though.

"Huh? W-what are those for?... Y-you….you're not planning for me to wear that…right?"

Of course! I prepared one just for you!

"I'm not wearing that!"

No need to be shy now, Mikuru. It's the right size for you even.

"Th-that's not…you wouldn't want me to wear that at the school entrance would you?"

"Of course."

"No! I don't want to!"

Oh, quit complaining. We don't have much time. Speeding things up I decide to grab Mikuru and begin undressing her myself. From past experiences I could tell this wouldn't be too hard as long as she cooperated.

"N-NO! DON'T LOOK!"

It wasn't until I heard the door open and close that I realized she was speaking to Kyon. Honestly Mikuru, of all the people to worry about you decide to kick out Kyon? He, along with the rest of Class 1-5 have seen me begin to undress plenty of times and I never complained about it. If he managed to turn down an offer to touch your breasts I think we can trust his self control enough not to kick him out of the room.

"Kyaa! Stop it!"

"Quit moving, you're only making this harder."

Changing Mikuru felt like I was getting a toddler to change out of their pajamas and into a nice expensive kimono her parents bought for the big festival. Every time I paused to undress myself she'd just huddle there, barely making any progress. By the time I was stripped completely she was still struggling to get her skirt down her legs. I can only imagine how much time this wasted.

"At least let me take them off myself."

"Well hurry up and take them off then. Like that!"

Off in her usual spot Nagato didn't even offer to help. I get the feeling if I had included her in on this she'd be in her costume already and waiting for us to finish by reading more of her book.

Now I admit, it was a treat getting to touch Mikuru's whole body, including her big breasts once more, and this time without any pesky clothes in the way. They looked much bigger when bare, although it was hard to get a decent look with her fidgeting constantly. It was a pretty fun experience, still, kind of like playing dress up. Most of the fun was almost immediately sucked out by Mikuru's whimpers though. Why doesn't she just hurry up and let herself enjoy feeling sexy for once? I've only got my stockings on and already I was beginning to wish Kyon had stuck around so I could ask his opinion. Obviously none of the two girls with me were going to be of much help in that department.

Eventually, just when I was about sick of seeing Mikuru's uncovered skin go about with no progress I managed to wrestle her into her bunny outfit. Needless to say, it looked great on her. It really was the perfect fit. She was too busy covering up her cleavage and shivering to make full use of the outfit though. Finally done I gently placed the ears on her and grabbed my own before calling Kyon back in.

Sorry for the interruption Kyon. Are you gonna tell us what you think though? The young man before me was too speechless at the sight of his two stunning bunny girls to answer. Just the sort of reaction I was hoping for.

"Perfect! We'll grab everyone's attention like this! At this rate we'll have them reading our flyers in no time."

"If you wear those out in public people will only give you strange looks…wait, why doesn't Nagato-san have to wear one?"

I'm wondering if Kyon knows just how expensive these costumes and accessories really are. It's a shame my limitations had to rob him the satisfaction of seeing the SOS girls in matching bunny girl outfits. I know I had the same regrets this morning. Besides, it's harder to tell what kind of body Yuki has since she's always sitting down in her corner, and size selections are very limited when buying online.

"Let's go Mikuru-chan!"

With one hand holding my bag the other dragged behind me the shy goddess Mikuru, wobbling in her legs, trying and failing to follow behind me properly in those high heels. We'll need to work on that later. Kyon, you're in charge of the club till we get back. Keep Yuki company.

Although it would've been nice to hand out flyers on our way outside, Mikuru's constant delays made me want to hurry to the school entrance before the crowds diminished. Luckily we arrived just in time and it was show time.

"Everyone look this way! We're from the SOS Brigade! Please take a flyer. Let us know if you know of anything cool or interesting. Hey you! Take a flyer! From the SOS Brigade!"

In all honesty I had much more fun showing off my own outfit than expected. Mikuru just stood there with her back to a wall, hunched up over the papers she occasionally held out to anyone willing to take them off her hands. Normally I'd call this a failure, but the looks of pity managed to get her a bit of attention anyways.

In the sexy department I did my best to make up for what Mikuru couldn't deliver. While I'm nowhere near her proportions, I did the best with what my own body had to offer and was proud of all the attention we were getting.

Of course, I knew we'd eventually attract attention from teachers. A middle aged teacher managed to spot me and tried to talk with me.

"What's going on here? This is hardly appropriate behavior for school grounds!"

"Hey, don't worry, we've got everything under control. I bought these costumes with my own money. We're just handing out flyers."

"S-stop that! You have to stop this at once."

Ignoring the crazy old man I did my best to hand out more flyers despite our opposition. Unfortunately for me, after the first few students got a scolding for encouraging our campaign less and less students accepted our flyers. By this point Mikuru was just clutching her stack of papers to her chest, hiding just about everything worth showing to the crowd.

And then even more teachers came.

"You two girls are going to put a stop to this at once. This is absurd!"

"Suzumiya-san, this is no time for your games. We're going to have to take you two to see the principal."

Okabe-sensei had found his way into the crowd and was given priority over the other teachers. I guess he already had a reputation for having already dealt with Suzumiya Haruhi personally, though he never really confronted me about anything before.

Looking over I saw that while Mikuru was shy and already bothered by attention from the students, having all these teachers around has practically broken her down completely. Great, and I haven't even given out half my flyers yet.

"Alright fine! Just don't drag Mikuru-chan into this, she was only helping me pass out the flyers."

"Suzumiya-san…"

Okabe looked at my accomplice, probably having difficulty deciding where to look at after another teacher had confiscated her stack of flyers.

"Alright fine, I'll talk with her teacher later, but we'll have to take you to see the principal."

The principal!? Why can't these teachers lighten up? There's nothing here these students have never seen before.

"Mikuru-chan, head back to the clubroom. Tell Kyon to wait for me. I have to take care of this."

And so, the second activity of the SOS Brigade didn't go anywhere near as well as I had planned. Mr. Principal, who was every bit as boring as he was on the first day of school, was about as unnecessarily upset as you could get. After what felt like hours, I was finally let go, although I could expect this discussion to continue once I got home.

"Damn those teachers! Why do they always get their way!"

Back at the clubroom Mikuru, too traumatized from all the trouble we got in, was slouched over the table with Kyon's coat on her. Well at least my club members are considerate of each other.

"Did something happen?"

Kyon hadn't been brought up to speed, but I didn't feel like going into details right now. After giving a quick explanation of how those teachers stopped our marketing plan I decided that today wasn't worth salvaging and dismissed everyone. Kyon was quick to leave when he saw me undressing.

"Hurry up and change Mikuru. How long are you going to cry like that?"

With Mikuru unresponsive I had no choice but to strip her down again and get her dressed myself. This time I was in no mood to enjoy any playfulness I'd have gotten out of this experience. I just wanted today to end.

I was getting my club started. I had found interesting people who'd help me with my dreams. I was making excitement happen, just like Kyon said. I thought the days where I had to limit myself to everyone else's rules were behind me. What's the point of making something of myself if I'm not allowed to go against the school, or anyone else for that matter? How much longer will I have to face resistance before I'm finally left to do what I want on my own?

The day at school ended poorly. Mikuru slowly let herself out of the room. Nagato slammed her book closed and walked out without a word. By the end, only Kyon stood there by the doorway, just as silent. I didn't want to deal with this anymore, so I just left myself before he could say anything more.

But of course, the day wasn't over. After receiving a call from the school I was greeted at home by the two adults I had no choice but to listen to once they began discussing my inappropriate behavior.

My parents, always quick to question my actions, weren't exactly proud of what they've heard secondhand. To be fair, I wasn't feeling very proud of myself either after that great failure.

Wanting to just head to my room already I gave a quick apology and explained that I was merely caught doing club activities with some friends.

Both my mother and father merely mouthed off the words "club" and "friends" to themselves in surprise. I guess I neglected to tell them about my new club activities. They were used to me doing solo activities after school, so they probably didn't know that had changed recently.

They seemed understanding somewhat, but it was made clear I wouldn't hear the end of it if I pulled another stunt like this again. Yeah yeah, I understand.

That night I took a bath and ate a bit of dinner. I didn't even care about homework. There wasn't much anyways, so I just went to sleep, wondering what the others think about the SOS Brigade's first major failure. I'll have to try harder from now on. I'll show Kyon I can make this happen. Besides, I had another cute outfit I wanted Mikuru to try on. Maybe that will cheer me up.

…

The next day saw no Mikuru, or any news or emails in response to the flyers. That was all.


	4. The Melancholy - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"So how mysterious is the transfer student?"

At that moment I walked into the classroom, having just returned from a trip to Class 1-9.

"He doesn't feel mysterious. I talked to him, but didn't get much information. Maybe he's only pretending to be normal…"

I trailed off, probably leaving Kyon as baffled as I was while I replayed the past five minutes in my head multiple times.

When I first heard there was a new transfer student in school I felt so excited. After my failure with the flyers, a new member was just what the Brigade needed to bring spirits back up. I couldn't wait very long and ran out to check him out the first chance I had.

"Hello there. The transfer student you're looking for would be me. I must say, I didn't expect anyone to search me out. Did I already get someone's attention? Oh, sorry, I should introduce myself properly. My name is Koizumi Itsuki. And who might you be?"

When I first entered the room labeled 1-9 I immediately looked around for an unfamiliar face before asking where the new transfer student was. It was like those games where you have to spot the differences in two pictures, and in this case, I can't tell how successful I was at finding the new student in picture #2.

The boy who introduced himself to me as Koizumi Itsuki was rather polite. He gave a straightforward greeting and answered quickly. He seemed like a rare breed, so polite and average in nature it was almost inhuman. Is this really my mystery man?

Of course, he had the odd features standing out here or there. He was pretty tall, which made his perfect posture all the more noticeable. If I had to compare, I'd say he were the opposite of Kyon. His hair was neatly brushed and styled, and he showed off his handsome face with a smile that seemed to have had a lot of practice. He seemed nice, but I wasn't exactly looking for nice.

"My name is Suzumiya Haruhi," I responded. "I'm captain of the SOS Brigade, and it's my job to seek out any unusual activity. You're a transfer student right? That's definitely mysterious."

"Is that so? Well in that case, I'd have to agree. Since I only just transferred to this school, chances are likely you know less about me than anyone else in this school. I hope you don't mind me asking though, but what's this SOS Brigade you mentioned?"

"That's not important! If you're hiding something unusual about yourself I suggest you let me know right now."

"Well, I'm not quite sure what you'd consider unusual. Just like I'm a complete mystery to you, everyone in this school is, unfortunately, just as big a mystery to myself. As far as I can tell though, I'm a perfectly normal high school student who just happened to transfer here to North High. If I think of anything strange worth mentioning though, I'll be sure to let you know Miss…Suzumiya was it?"

Those were the last words exchanged between me and this Itsuki boy before I got one last look at him and left, assuming Itsuki is his real name of course.

There was something strange about this young man. He had that kind look in his eyes, the kind that say things like "Don't worry, you're safe with me." Most girls would consider it a good trait in a boyfriend, but I'm more interested in finding us our fifth member.

Koizumi Itsuki was a transfer student, and his friendly nature somehow added to the mystery. He certainly wouldn't oppose the SOS Brigade. If I asked him to join he'd probably say yes, claiming that it would be a good way to make friends or something.

"A club you say?"

And that's why I came back after school. Having caught him as he was leaving his class the two of us were now discussing the terms of his admission in the middle of the hall.

"This is no ordinary club. This is the SOS Brigade! We're the best there is, and you should be honoured I'm even considering you."

"Well I must admit, I do indeed feel flattered. Here I was thinking I'd have trouble making friends and already I have a pretty girl inviting me to her wonderful club. How could I possibly say no?"

"Don't take this the wrong way either. I can't guarantee you a spot. If I ever feel like you don't belong in my Brigade I can kick you out any time I want."

"That sounds more than fair. You are the captain after all right?"

Damn, this guy has charm. I feel like I should be thanking him. How did he do that? His handsome smile only made it more difficult to stay in control of this discussion.

This time our newest member was able to follow me willingly, and once again it was a different experience. Koizumi walked just fast enough that I felt no need to tell him to hurry up, but it was still slower than my usual brisk pace when bringing a new face to my Brigade.

By the time we reached our club I had almost tuned out Koizumi's comments. I think he mentioned something about the old building. I was too excited really. Unlike before though, I learned to pace myself. I can't let myself get carried away. The bunny girl incident reminded me that I can't do this alone. I need my Brigade to become strong so we can change the world ourselves.

"Hiya! Kept ya waiting?"

I couldn't help but notice Kyon and the girls were playing board games. Even Yuki had left her usual spot to join in on some Othello. How the hell did he accomplish that in such little time? Every time I let my guard down Kyon manages to pull off the impossible. I'll have to remember that for later…

"…Koizumi Itsuki. Pleased to meet you."

After the new member was introduced it was time to get to business. Alright Koizumi, now you can see how the SOS Brigade gets things done.

"Let me tell you what the SOS Brigade is about. That is…"

I had practiced this moment before. It felt like the others were losing focus, and I don't blame them one bit. I have done a horrible job, and the universe would only continue to be against me at this rate. I needed to clarify once and for all that this is the SOS Brigade, and we have a clear mission to create excitement.

"That is, to find aliens, time travelers, and espers, and befriend them all!"

The silence in that split second was heavy enough to create diamonds. I looked at each of my Brigade members and saw their reactions.

Kyon had on his "Didn't we already do this?" face, possibly surprised that I remembered my original goal after so many distractions.

Mikuru somehow looked more surprised than usual. Obviously she hadn't taken me seriously up until now, but beginning at this moment I'll show her I mean business, and we'll find real excitement soon, and not just fake promotions about ogling our new mascot.

Yuki, who was out of her chair and already facing me for the first time since…I can't even remember, seemed just as shocked. I'm thankful Kyon dragged her away from her books long enough for me to show her my true excitement.

And then there was the new potential member, Koizumi. Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, he merely smiled and inspected everyone. What was he getting at now?

"I see…as expected from Suzumiya-san. In that case, no problem. I'll join. I look forward to working with you guys."

My subordinates replaced their faces of surprise with the new model and stared at the transfer student that just became our new fellow member. Koizumi took this as a good time to acquaint himself with the new members personally, going ahead and shaking Kyon's hand first.

"I'm Koizumi. As I just transferred today, there's still a lot for me to learn. It's nice to meet you though."

Well this is working out rather well. We have a new member. I know I scouted him out and brought him to the club myself, but hearing him agree to join and immediately make himself familiar with everyone made the act of recruiting him finalized.

Well I guess I should show him around then.

"He's Kyon. The cute one there is Mikuru-chan. The one with glasses is Yuki-chan."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you al-"

_Crash_

What just happened? Did someone fall? Mikuru? Her clumsiness was a very powerful manifestation of moe, so I must say it's pretty inappropriate to distract me like this at such an important meeting.

"Are you alright?" said Koizumi, offering his hand to the girl that now found herself on the ground.

"I…I'm fine," replied the miniature figure, reaching out to the helping hand embarrassingly.

The two looked much too fitting together. I'll have to remember what good chemistry they have together later on in case I need a more Okabe-friendly method of advertising.

"Mikuru, you can be clumsy later. The SOS Brigade now has five members! There's nothing the school can do to stop us now. That means we're finally open for business! Everyone, let's all work together and move forward!"

"What do you mean open for business?"

Kyon, don't tell me you of all people don't get it?

"Our mission is to find strange activity, either in school, or around town. If there's any aliens, time travelers, or even espers lurking out there, we'll bring them to us."

"What an interesting club I just joined," Koizumi chimed in. "I can't say I'm exactly an expert in these sorts of things though, but I'd be glad to help in any way I can."

"That's the spirit! We can plan things out in more detail next time. Right now I should show Koizumi-kun around the school. We can't have him getting lost on the way to our important meetings can we?"

"An excellent idea. I was just thinking to myself how I hardly had any time to familiarize myself with this school's environment. I'd love to hear anything you have to say about it though Miss Suzumiya."

"Perfect. The rest of you can stay here as long as you want. Feel free to come up with ideas, but don't go making too many big plans without your leader, got that? All special ideas must first be reported to Brigade Chief or else!"

Things were finally going my way again. I was in control, and I was ready for my hard work to finally pay off.

Of course, first I had to give Koizumi his tour.

Nothing interesting happened during our one-on-one. He didn't suddenly spring to life when a stray object fell down the stairs to rescue an unsuspecting student about to get hit. He didn't say anything suspicious and then immediately change the subject. The entire afternoon was just his typical "Ooh" and "Aah" responses.

By the time that was over I was wondering if he was trying to hide something or if I had just made a mistake and let someone normal into the Brigade. He was a transfer student, but how far can he go with that mystery alone?

I decided Koizumi deserved a chance though. The other Brigade members proved their strengths, so why shouldn't he? Besides, I was a little too excited to finally get things going again. Kyon had another boy to talk with, so he wont just be his typical mute self. Yuki was finally showing signs she wasn't bolted down onto that chair of hers. And with Mikuru all better, I could finally try on the next outfit I bought for her.

The only real concern was at the end of my tour. Just as I had made my way back to the clubroom I saw it was empty. I guess the others left. Almost as soon as I had opened the door though Koizumi's phone made a noise and he curiously took it out.

"I'm sorry. It looks like everyone else has left. Just as well, it seems I'm needed elsewhere at my part time job. I hope you don't mind. And don't worry, this job shouldn't interfere with any future club activities if that's what you're wondering."

Koizumi was gone in an instant, managing to excuse himself before I could even object to him having a job. He was smart enough to assure me this job of his wont interfere though. If anything, his smile seemed to temporarily disappear as soon as he heard his phone. Maybe he doesn't like his job. That's good for us right?

I wonder what kind of work he does…

* * *

><p>The following day after school.<p>

I had been waiting for this for quite some time, you see. Kyon had class duties and would be a little late to the clubroom, and I had no idea how early Koizumi planned to show up, but if all went according to plan, there should be something special waiting for me in the clubroom.

"Ta-da!"

"Um…hello…Miss Suzumiya?"

Hmm, not bad, but we'll have to work on her greeting.

"Take off your clothes."

"W-what!?"

Today was the day. I was finally going to try out Mikuru's next outfit! I bought her a nice fancy maid costume shortly after buying the bunny girl outfits. As I was quick to notice before, these costumes are expensive, so I'd need Mikuru's first exclusive costume to be special.

"I got you your next new costume Mikuru-chan! Now hurry up! I wanna see you try it."

"Waa~ No, don't…I can do that myself!"

Memories of Mikuru taking forever to get undressed came rushing back, though I had assumed she'd have gotten less shy and fidgety by now. Looks like I still had to do most of the work though. If I left Mikuru alone she'd just stand there shivering in her underwear. How is it this girl doesn't know how to change clothes quickly? It's a basic human function!

"N….noo! H-help!...KYAAA!"

This time Mikuru's screams seemed directed at someone else. I quickly looked up to see a blushing Kyon gawking at the half undressed Mikuru from the door. Well Mikuru, if you're too shy to let the boys see you then maybe you'll change quicker from now on. Kyon even gave you a head start today.

"Sorry about that," he said, before rushing out into the halls again. I don't know how he's capable of controlling himself around a half dressed Mikuru like that though. From Mikuru's reactions Kyon just laid eyes on something no male retinas have ever had the chance to see.

"Come on Mikuru, stop moving like that. Let's not keep everyone waiting, just hurry up and put this….no, stop moving your arms!"

This endless struggle continued for about as long as it did last time. I can only imagine how long Kyon would be left waiting outside if I left Mikuru in charge of herself.

"Okay, you can come in now."

And that's when Kyon entered and first set eyes on my next masterpiece.

Asahina Mikuru, with all her impeccable charm and beauty, was now sitting adorably in front of our first judge, in a maid uniform.

"Well? Isn't she cute?"

Kyon never looked sillier than he did now, probably searching his mind for words that wont turn Mikuru into an even bigger moe blob.

After fishing for compliments some more (all my doing as Mikuru just shyly turned away and gave herself inaudible criticisms) Kyon finally opened his mouth.

"Why are you dressing her up as a maid?"

What kind of question is that? Maids make for the perfect match in our school setting. Also because maids are sexy! The rose colour on Kyon's cheek are enough to tell me he agrees.

"In any story where the school is the main set there's bound to be a cute character like Mikuru-chan. The story just isn't the same without her, right? Mikuru is already cute and gentle, but in order to get people's attention we need to dress her up with her great figure in a maid costume."

I've felt Mikuru's figure enough times to tell I don't need Kyon's approval to know I'm right. His eyes, already struggling to decide where to settle down for a single view, seemed to have rested on her adorable face, just under the lovely hair held back by her headband, which I couldn't help but pet and play with.

"Now everyone will fall in love with her! We're sure to get a victory now!"

And now that that intro is out of the way, next comes our photoshoot.

"P..please stop shooting!"

I came with more than just Mikuru's costume this time and prepared my trusty digital camera. I had her do a couple poses for us while I capture her glory on film. I planned to make good use of these pictures after all.

After a while though I had Kyon take over the shooting. Mikuru needed an extra bit of charm and her sex appeal went up greatly once I stepped in to take full control of her poses.

Of course, I made sure to make use of Mikuru's best features. Not only was this maid costume specifically chosen for its form fitting nature, which pushed up Mikuru's perfect breasts for everyone's eyes to outline, but the apron was just the right shape and size for me to unbutton a bit of her blouse and expose the most magnificent cleavage anyone has ever seen. Mikuru the maid was just perfect.

By the end of our model shoot, which led to Mikuru kneeling down with Yuki's glasses on her face amongst all the fun, I just couldn't help but keep my hands of Mikuru's adorable face and stroke her cheeks. These pictures are going to turn out great!

"Excellent job everyone. Kyon, you better have taken quality pictures or we're going to have to waste time doing this all over again. In this case though, I'll go easy on you if you mess up since we get to see more of Mikuru-chan's sexy poses."

"No…"

Mikuru continued to very slightly resist our ideas, though I don't think I'll ever understand how she isn't having a blast from all this attention.

"Mikuru, from now on I want you to wear this every time you come here for club activities. Man, who said you could be so cute anyways? Even I can't keep my hands off you."

"Alright I think it's time for you to stop now."

Hmm? Was that Kyon? Honestly Kyon, I'm not even doing anything this time. Mikuru's just being shy, like always. If a complete stranger walked in they'd see one girl giving her close friend a warm hugging embrace chatting with their male friend.

You two should be thankful I found a way to turn such a normal event like friends talking into something much more sexy and exciting.

Kyon continued to try and pull me apart from my prize.

"That's enough, stop it already!"

"Does it even matter? We're just having fun. Why don't you join in too?"

Mikuru was fun to fondle all by myself, but I'm still a bit curious what it would be like to share her, especially with someone like Kyon. Even better if Mikuru joined in and enjoyed our time together as well. I can only imagine what sort of fun things we could all do together.

"Woah, what's going on here? Some sort of club activity?"

Koizumi Itsuki arrived just in time to join in on our cuddle party.

"Come on in, Koizumi. Let's all play with Mikuru!"

"No thanks. It all seems pretty scary to me actually. Mind if I just sit and watch?"

Koizumi proved to be even less likely to join in than Kyon. I did not expect this at all. Oh well, now that everyone's here I guess playtime seems unnecessary. We've taken our photos already anyways. (It should be noted that because a certain individual felt it wasn't safe, these pictures of Mikuru were never released into the public, making today's spoils go to a disappointing waste in the end)

"Right, then it's now time for the first SOS Brigade meeting!"

I thought long and hard this morning about what needed to be said. To be honest, it's a miracle we managed to get this far. My own incompetence has held back the Brigade while my members just fumbled around without any clear direction. Our first few missions as the SOS Brigade were complete failures.

Of course I couldn't tell everyone that. It's my job as Chief to boost morale and make sure everyone does their best. I have to tell them what an excellent job they all did, and despite our failures, we did manage to accomplish quite a few feats.

We got out club started, found a room, managed to get our own website off the ground, distributed flyers, and made a reputation for ourselves around the school. The SOS Brigade was doing great, and I was sure to do my best to make it even better!

This club was founded on the basis that the time for sitting and waiting is over. The only way to truly find excitement in the world is if we make it ourselves. Even if we have to turn everything upside down, we're not going to give up until we find what we're looking for.

"…what are we looking for?"

Excellent question Kyon. The SOS Brigade has one clear mission.

"We're looking to find all mysterious events in this world. As long as we try hard, we should be able to find one or two events in this very town!"

I could feel everyone wrapping their minds around my speech. It was now time to announce our next move.

"This Saturday,tomorrow! We'll all meet outside the north station just before nine in the morning. Don't be late, and any absentees will receive execution."

Sealing our new plans with a wink I officially declared our first out-of-school outing. We all want to have fun, and for that to happen we must give this our all. We can't just limit ourselves to the weekdays after all.

There were obviously no objections. And so our first official meeting ended with arrangements for our first SOS Brigade city-wide search. I was absolutely certain this plan would succeed.

Of course I needed my Brigade to work with me to make this succeed. I'm sure they were now inspired to put as much effort into this as I have.

* * *

><p>Saturday morning.<p>

Needless to say, I was the first one at our meeting point. I was proud to see that I wasn't going to be waiting alone for long. Just a few minutes after I had arrived, Koizumi brought his pretty face along.

"Even though I left early, I had a feeling I'd find you here already, Miss Suzumiya."

Excellent job Koizumi. My Brigade was quickly becoming the peak of efficiency. Shortly afterward, Yuki showed up. What made her presence interesting is the fact that she was wearing her school uniform. Doesn't she have any other clothes? Well it sure made me and Koizumi look way more casual by comparison.

"…"

To be honest, I was half expecting Yuki to show up with a book at hand, somehow walking without paying any attention to what's in front of her. The fact that she's standing at attention with us shows how serious she is as well.

Just when I began to feel teary eyed at the dedication held by my subordinates, Koizumi and Yuki began to have a pleasant conversation. I'm glad they're all getting along. I didn't get involved though, for I was keeping my eyes focused and on the lookout for our next arrivals.

It was definitely nice to see the two members I spent the least amount of time with getting along. Maybe if Koizumi can talk with Yuki long enough she'll speak out more. I wonder what kind of things she'd say even. Now that's a pretty moe moe thought.

After a while of waiting, off in the distance I saw our next familiar face. There were still ten minutes until nine, but I had been waiting here for a while now compared to Mikuru, so her arrival time will be noted. By the time she reached our small group Yuki had gone silent and Koizumi was forced to make small talk with Mikuru instead.

Kyon arrived a few minutes later. Everyone had arrived early, but if they had arrived sooner we'd be started by now after Mikuru showed up.

"Kyon you're late! Penalty!"

"What? But it's not even nine yet? I'm still early."

"The last person keeps everyone waiting. Even if you show up on time, the last person to arrive gets punished. That's the rule."

It was a rule I had just made up, but I was having too much fun. It wasn't even nine yet and everyone was here. No troubles, no unexpected detours, everything was going perfectly. And that can only mean good things once our search begins.

As per the new rules, Kyon payed for all our drinks at the nearby café. It was here we all got seated and heard the plan of action.

From this station we'd all split up into two parties heading in opposite directions. The goal was to look for anything unusual. I had already explained the criteria for our search in the clubroom last time, where we all exchanged information for contacting each other when something's found.

I think everyone knew what to do, they were just nervous and didn't know where to start. To be honest, I'm not sure where the best place to start is either, but the best way to get started is to just jump in there and get to work.

So now it's time to draw lots!

Since there were five of us, one of the two groups had to be a single couple, which did cause me some concern when the two to draw the marked toothpicks I prepared turned out to be Kyon and Mikuru. I could already tell what Kyon was thinking, and although I'd love some alone time with Mikuru-chan just as well as anyone else, today's mission should be first priority.

In other words, this isn't a date Kyon! You and Mikuru better be doing serious work once I leave you two alone! We have plenty of time to enjoy Mikuru at school anyways.

"So all we need to do is look for aliens, time-travelers, and espers with supernatural powers, or any signs they left behind on Earth. I think I understand."

My first partner Koizumi seems to be taking the mission seriously at least, but our companion Yuki just sipped her tea, impossible to read as always.

"You're right Koizumi. It's just as you said. You sure are bright. Kyon, you should learn from his example."

Kyon, of course, was too busy fantasizing about his alone time with Mikuru. I don't know why he manages just fine to control himself in the clubroom but can't concentrate for one second on the weekend. Does he use up all his calories functioning properly during school?

"Remember this isn't a date Kyon. If I find you going off to have fun with her instead of what I asked you to I'll kill you!"

Kyon seemed to give me a half serious look of understanding. For some reason I had trouble trusting it this time…

Kyon and Mikuru went off on their end while Koizumi and Yuki followed me. Our groups were heading East and West from the station. I had already planned for us to meet later for lunch so we could search North and South. I'll definitely choose different teams to make sure Kyon's kept in line. I never thought I'd have to worry about him of all people.

"So what should we do then, Suzumiya-san?"

My vague answers wouldn't work well this time. We had to pick a destination and I had just begun walking forward in the hopes we find something interesting.

"Just keep an eye out for anything unusual. People with strange behavior, odd sign posts, lines on the streets changing, that sort of thing."

"Do you really expect we'll find anything of that sort today?"

Of course we will. There's no way I'm going through all this trouble if there's no chance of success.

"So you believe that because we are searching for unusual activity, we will inevitably find what we are looking for. I find that rather interesting. So if what you're saying is true, we can assume that we have no chance of not finding anything, because, as you so put it, we've put so much effort into our search. In a way you could say that, following your logic, it's our search itself which creates unusual activity around us, correct?"

I had no idea why Koizumi was getting philosophical all of a sudden, but he seems to be catching on, so I went along.

"If we can't find excitement we have to make it ourselves, "I said, repeating Kyon's mantra. "If we don't bother looking, then why would we expect paranormal beings to just appear before us. We have to make it happen, and that's why we're here."

"I'm surprised you put so much thought into this. So, allow me to propose a scenario. If we had chosen to stay home today and avoid this entire search, then any unusual activity we would have otherwise run into would go unnoticed by the general population, thereby turning something unique and exotic into something completely ordinary. At least, that's how most people would view it."

So does that mean you believe there's something out there?

"In a way, you can say there is and isn't. It is only once we choose to seek out this activity that it gains importance. Therefore, it is our search which transforms what would otherwise be a normal activity, into one that would match our criteria. Our very presence allows for events to be both mundane and exotic at the same time."

That seems to sum it up rather well. Although I never thought of it that way, I guess what Koizumi is saying is more or less what I've been following this whole time. So it's definitely not just me!

"Of course, when you think about, our search is quite unusual in and of itself. You could say our Brigade would be considered unusual activity by someone else. However, as stated before, unless someone is actively seeking out activity, then any unusual activity we exhibit will just go unnoticed and blend into its surroundings.

"Take our current setting as an example. To an outsider we merely look like three ordinary high school students walking together on a weekend. In that case, wouldn't you say that it would be difficult for any abnormal beings to notice us?"

What's with the hypothetical talk all of a sudden? Just a few sentences ago I was on board with this talk, but this sudden new side of Koizumi is kind of freaking me out actually. Yuki's silence isn't helping. It's like she's not even there.

"In a way, you could say that because, or perhaps despite the fact that we are searching something that specifically requires us to attract attention, then it's likely we will never find it, as our searching for something unusual appears from the outside like a perfectly normal activity.

"Take the group of people at this intersection for example. For all we know we passed by several aliens in disguise, but we'd have no way of knowing unless we got their attention, which is unlikely now seeing as we'd only resemble every day high school students to them. That group of businessmen could secretly be planning to save the world, or those officers in that restaurant could be part of some secret Organization. Any one of them might be interested in our presence, but because of our appearances, any chances of communication have become severely limited."

I can't say this is what I expected our conversation to turn into. I had just basically been given an out of nowhere rant about how plain and ordinary the SOS Brigade was. Is that what we are to Koizumi and everyone else? Plain and ordinary? We've barely gotten started!

I was ready to argue against Koizumi and everything he said, but before I could tell him how stupid it was to give up before we started and give him the rebuttal I thought long and hard for, he merely shrugged at me and smiled.

"I was only kidding. I actually have no clue as to what kind of people would be hiding secrets from us. To be honest, I'm secretly hoping we find something quite interesting myself."

Well this conversation sure was a mood killer. And now I have Koizumi making crazy jokes at a time like this. What exactly was the point in all this? And I thought Kyon had an odd sense of humour. I'm starting to wish I had been in Kyon or Mikuru's group more and more.

"How long have we been walking?" I asked.

"We are approximately 34 meters from our original meeting location."

Yuki answered my question instantly, making me wonder if she was paying attention to all that rubbish Koizumi spouted out. Don't tell me he killed her spirits too. It took us this long just to get Yuki to show the slightest bit of excitement and it's already gone! This wont do.

"No more distractions, we should be keeping a lookout. And we can't just go in a straight line. Come on, let's head this way."

The rest of that morning consisted of me blindly heading in every direction I could think of while my two followers stuck close to me without making a peep. Yuki's silence was expected. I was lucky to hear her voice at all today. Koizumi's silence was only becoming rather eerie though.

Although he'd occasionally interrupt to ask a question on why I paused or if I found something, his footsteps were usually accompanied by his bright smile only. Maybe he really was kidding earlier and is worried I took it too seriously. Of course, he might also be worried even if he meant every word of it.

Unfortunately, I couldn't help but think of those words myself. It reminded me of when Kyon and I used to talk every day in between classes. Kyon always had a way of saying things that somehow inspired me to form my very own club, but Koizumi seemed to be the opposite, capable of bringing down anyone's goals with mere small talk.

Maybe that's why he's always so polite. All his life Koizumi was looked down upon for being a constant downer, so he hides behind his smiles in the hopes that he wont accidentally steal everyone's motivation to live.

Then there's the fact that Yuki's unusual behavior really becomes more apparent outside of school. Why was she wearing her uniform? Did she think it was required of her since this was a club activity? Her silence is usually accompanied by her reading her books in her corner, but there were no books today. She had nothing to read, so for once her silence was just plain silence and nothing more.

The more I thought about it the more I realized just what an odd group of misfits I had put together by complete accident. If what Koizumi said were true then we have nothing to worry about because these people don't appear normal by any means.

This of course means that we should be running into unusual activity at any moment though, right? As the hours passed by the streets all began to look the same though. We entered and exited a few stores, peered into empty allies, and I payed attention to many odd passerbies on the street. Eventually it seemed like we explored just about everywhere we could.

"It's almost noon. If we go any further then it might get late by the time we meet with the others."

Koizumi reminded me of the time, and although our search brought up no results, I had no choice but to call an end to the morning search and regroup for lunch.

"Kyon, we'll meet at noon. By the station we met this morning."

I hung up my phone, suddenly wondering what Kyon and Mikuru were doing, and that's when I turned around and saw Yuki had already begun walking back. I guess that's it then.

When we arrived I decided to look around the station a bit more on my own. All of a sudden I was feeling frustrated at just about everyone, including myself. Why hadn't I found anything yet? Why wasn't everyone showing the same excitement from this morning?

By the time I showed up at the meeting spot it was still Koizumi and Yuki waiting quietly. Did they even say anything while I was gone? Earlier I punished Kyon for making us wait, even though he was on time. Now he and Mikuru kept us all waiting, and they were also late. Just how far were they when I called?

By the time I saw their silhouettes grow into the familiar figures I left this morning I was in no mood for chit chat.

The results?

"Nothing."

I could feel everyone staring at me in some way or another. Our search turned up no results for either party and no one knew what to do next. Well at least that part was simple.

"Let's get lunch first."

We all stopped by a burger shop to eat, this time with little to say other than our second drawing of toothpicks.

I'm not quite sure why it upset me, but this time Kyon was paired off with Yuki. At least I had Mikuru on my side this time.

Our uneventful break ended with us heading North to South this time. Once again I was in the group of three. I wont have any boring tagalongs this time though.

"Mikuru, what did you and Kyon do?"

"Wha….I….uh….we walked by….the river."

"I'm sure that spot looks lovely right about now. It's also not very crowded, so any unusual activity would surely be noticed there."

Koizumi had apparently fallen out of his downer mood from this morning and was now back to rescuing young girls from having to explain themselves to their chief.

"Well we already tried walking around. This time we need to think of a plan. Mikuru, if you were an alien, time traveler, or esper, where would you hide?"

"H-hide? Um…maybe…somewhere where there's people?"

Isn't going where there's people the opposite of hiding? Either way, we're at a crowded street already, so Mikuru's answer was of no help this time.

"Perhaps Miss Asahina has a point. Right now there's all sorts of people here, but none of them left their homes with this street in mind for their destination. Perhaps if we chose a location where many people head toward specifically. A shopping mall for example."

Koizumi's advice left me conflicted. It was good that he was finally helping, but seeing Mikuru's face light up at the mention of shopping makes me wonder if there were any ulterior motives there.

Reluctantly, the three of us found ourselves at a shopping district. Determined to keep the others focused I dragged them off in every direction I could think of to make sure Mikuru would stop window shopping every time we passed by a store.

It worked, and I had everyone focused the entire trip, but unfortunately, it wasn't making our search any more efficient.

Before I knew it, it was time to be heading back. We had already agreed this time to meet back by four. Once again I was forced to wait because of Kyon.

I want to say something interesting happened. Maybe Koizumi and Mikuru had an interesting conversation, or someone in a scooter sped by and made a big wind. Anything would have been acceptable, and I'd love nothing more than to have something happen, just so I could say it did.

But there was nothing. Although Mikuru was more talkative with Koizumi than Yuki had been, there was nothing worth mentioning. No unusual people were found today. No strange portals or secret passageways. It was just like Koizumi had said. To everyone else we were just normal teenagers out shopping, and that's about as eventful as anything we found as well.

It didn't even matter if he meant what he said or not, his joke theory was proving to be disappointingly true. The thing that got to me the most though is that I seem to be the only one bothered by this.

I should mention Kyon was late once again, enough that even the others were growing impatient. I of course had to call him and demand he get his butt down here.

"You idiot! Just what time do you think it is!?"

"Sorry, I just woke up now."

And there went the last straw.

"Woke up!?"

Just what was he doing sleeping!? Who does he think he is making us all wait so he could take a nap!? And just where was Yuki during all this?

"You get your asses down here right now! I'll give you thirty seconds!"

Of course he took much longer than thirty seconds.

Not only had Kyon ignored all my calls after that, but by the time he finally showed up Yuki was next to him holding onto a book like it was her special teddy bear. Just where the hell did she get that from? Did the two seriously just slack off and did whatever they wanted this entire time?

That was the end of the day's activities. In the end I had Kyon pay for all our drinks again, but after the first two times it didn't seem nearly enough. I'd have to find a new way to punish serious crimes against the Brigade like this.

In the end, though, everyone was in good spirits. Everyone except me of course. I knew that Kyon wasn't the only one slacking off. Just about everyone had treated this day as their own personal day out, and they all said their goodbyes like typical friends heading home after a day of playing at the park.

Yuki was the first to go, eager to read her new book, which I'm sure had stolen her attention long before she and Kyon arrived. Mikuru left soon after, but not before heading over to Kyon to whisper something to him. So now they're keeping secrets together?

Koizumi gave both me and Kyon a farewell and excused himself. That left me all alone with-

"Kyon!"

All he could give me was his dumb casual look.

"Just what have you been doing all day?" I asked.

"What have I been doing today?" he repeated.

And just like that, I could no longer see what I saw in the boy who talked to me after classes. The mysterious Kyon who proved against all odds that he could be unique and interesting had almost vanished completely. In the end I couldn't keep his attention long enough, it seems. Well if I'm not enough for his attention span why should I bother with him? Or anyone else for that matter? It was obvious none of them seemed to mind our complete failure today.

"Well it's not like they'd be so careless as to let you discover them in one day."

Unable to look at Kyon I just looked off into the distance. I saw all the people of this town walking and thought of everything that's been said to me. Kyon said I had to make my own excitement, but no matter how hard I try, I never find it. Nobody seems to care about my own effort, and any time I rely on everyone else they only let me down.

In the end it was Koizumi who was proven right. To everyone else we're just normal high school students. Everyone else had accepted that, as well as the untimely fate of our search. It seems I was the only one still trying while my own Brigade held me back. But the only reason I started this Brigade was because I knew I couldn't do it by myself. So just what was left now?

"We'll have a review of today's events at school, after tomorrow."

Not wanting to say any more, I left Kyon alone. I don't know if he left immediately afterward or if he watched me leave, and at this point, I no longer cared.

The first SOS Brigade weekend outing was a complete failure, and my SOS Brigade couldn't care less. It seems everyone had given up on our original goal. It's possible they had given up long before I met them, never expecting anything out this Brigade to begin with.

I did not look forward to school on Monday.


	5. The Melancholy - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Taking five steps outside in the past week, one could easily feel the Summer trying to force its way into the rainy days' turf, and as is customary for this part of Japan, Spring wasn't putting up much of a fight. Maybe Spring has some sort of deal where it throws fights in exchange for having a few extra weeks off every year.

What a ridiculous thought.

At home in the early part of the morning, my mother was showing her tendency to butt into my business, as was normal for my parents. I guess from a parent's perspective I do a lot to make them worry, but after three years of unusual junior high activities, which I admit weren't always my best ideas, they've grown used to just about anything I could throw at them.

At our household we have a sort of unspoken rule that as long as I do well in school and stay out of trouble I'm free to do as I please, provided I don't do anything rash, and it was my opinion that I never crossed the line.

Of course, ever since hearing from school about the bunny girl incident my parents have been bringing extra parenthood to our occasional chats, especially my mother, who would usually eat breakfast with me since she leaves for work early, trying to drag information out of me on days like this.

Ever since I started the SOS Brigade I've been spending less time in town, focusing entirely on club activities. With all that's been going on I noticed my parents were beginning to get in the habit of actually being parents again.

Now I'm not selfish. I understand my father and mother both work, and as an only child they give me plenty of attention. I'm perfectly fine with what I've been given for a family. Sure, things could be more interesting, but family's one of those things you just can't control.

You're probably wondering where I'm going with this, but I have a point, don't worry.

Deep down I think I always knew that maybe I was never meant to have an unusual life, and my family always served as a reminder of that. Lately, as my activities with the SOS Brigade grew, my behavior at home began to resemble what one might consider normal. As far as my parents could tell, I was just a typical teenage girl, and I was fine with that.

But as I know all too well, I wasn't really fine with that at all. Whenever my mother or father expressed concern about me I assured them I was fine, and I was, to some extent. I respected my parents, as everyone should, and that was all that needed to be said about that.

Today though, I walked up the hill to the same high school I've been attending over a month now. The feeling of middle school had long since vanished, along with my need for exercise. This hill was probably responsible for making obesity a nonexistent concern for all my fellow students.

I guess this is what Koizumi meant the other day. At home my parents see me as your average high school girl, and today, as I left for school a bit later than usual (I wasn't feeling very motivated today), a complete stranger would find it difficult telling me apart from the countless other students trekking up the long trail upward.

As far as anyone could tell, I looked like an absolutely normal human.

But I can't be normal can I? How many normal humans start their own clubs, and dedicate their spare time to finding excitement in everything they can find. How many normal humans can inspire the need to seek fun beyond that of mere mortals in not one, but four others like herself.

But is that really what I accomplished?

I don't think Kyon ever even submitted papers for our club. Come to think of it, we probably don't even have all the requirements. Didn't he say we needed a teacher to support us? None of that mattered to me before. All I cared about was bringing my Brigade together to accomplish something great, with or without school approval.

And that's where things began to get vague. Just how many things have gotten done by my hands? Everyone at the Brigade continues to follow me of their own free will. They don't have to attend meetings, but they come anyways. I thought this was a sign I wasn't alone. They too wanted something special. They were the closest things I had to real friends.

But what do I have to show for it?

Later in class, I saw that Kyon had arrived before me. He seemed somewhat surprised to see me today. I wonder what that was about.

His collar was wide open, exposing more of his tanned skin to the air fanned his way by the pencilboard in his hand. That seems like a nice way to beat the heat. Why don't you toss some air my way, Kyon.

"Do it yourself."

And this was when I got a good look at the reward I reaped from the dead soil that used to be my life. At the search it was obvious no one but me was seriously expecting anything. Everyone else just treated it as a literal walk in the park.

It seems even Kyon, the boy who became my inspiration, maybe even my closest friend and ally, could do little combat my boredom, and he didn't care in the slightest anymore. To be honest, I don't think I did either.

"Hey Suzumiya. Do you know of the Blue Bird of Happiness?"

"What's that?"

"No…nevermind, it's nothing."

Kyon's riddle was left unanswered, and that was when Okabe-sensei entered the room, putting an end to our cheap imitations of the conversations we used to have. I spent the rest of the class day staring out the window, occasionally getting a good look at the back of the head that used to mean something to me.

What meaning does Kyon bring me now? I was almost too scared to answer that.

Against all odds, I decided not to attend the clubroom meeting that day. I guess you could say I felt no reason to go. I would've told Kyon not to wait up for me, but he seemed to have disappeared by the end of the day.

And that was how I spent what was probably the most uneventful day of my life. For some reason I began to wonder if this was how my life would always be.

The next day though, I found my absence was noticed.

"Why didn't you come yesterday? What about that review you wanted?"

I had completely forgotten about that. However, among my many thoughts yesterday, I came to the conclusion that all the places we visited were no more or less likely to contain exciting events than anywhere else. By all means, we should have found something.

But as everyone knows, we didn't. I realize now that no matter how much it seems I _should_ find excitement in this world, I was doomed to find nothing. My final conclusion was that our search was a success in that our search methods were just fine. The problem was that planet Earth seems to hate me and everything I live for.

Of course, Kyon wasn't around for that. I didn't feel like letting him know about any of this, so I let him know my lack of desire to review as best as I could.

"You're annoying."

Part of me wanted to smile when I saw Kyon wasn't offended. I gave him a quick explanation of how I thought things over myself, and that seemed to be all he needed to hear. I guess deep down maybe Kyon does understand.

So does this mean he's accepted our cruel fates of being forced to live without the excitement we've always wanted. I felt like I could see the same desire I felt when looking in Kyon's eyes every time he quietly shrugged and followed me to the Literature Club room without a word. Somehow, he found a way to live with that desire and not let the real world bring him down.

I wish I knew his secret.

Suddenly I felt like a change of subject. It's been a while since Kyon and I talked about non-Brigade activities. Plus, this unbelievable heat was bound to be on everybody's thoughts. Kyon, don't you wish we could switch to summer uniforms already?

"Suzumiya, maybe I've already said this before, but I think you should learn to stop looking for these mysterious events and try to live a normal high school life."

That wasn't the response I was quite expecting…

Did Kyon read my mind or something? I know I wanted to learn his secret but this wasn't the conversation I meant to start. Wait, why is he even telling me this? Does he want me to give up? No way!

Before I knew it Kyon was giving me a serious look I didn't see very often. I could barely lift my head up enough to look him in the eye. It gave off a message along the lines of 'We're having this talk whether you like it or not.'

A normal high school life…just what kind of life is that?

Is that his secret? Give up on the life you want and just accept the one that you hate and never brings you any happiness? Is this the life Kyon lives? I hope you don't plan on infecting me with your new philosophy, Kyon.

"Maybe something like finding yourself a decent boyfriend."

Hearing Kyon suggest I get a boyfriend was an odd sensation I never wish to feel again.

"Who knows, you might even stumble upon an alien or two while out in the dating world. You'll be dealing with two birds with one stone. That's not so bad right? Besides, there's plenty of guys lining up for you. All you have to do is tone it down a little and your boyfriend will show up in no time."

I don't know why Kyon, but the fact that you're actually trying to cheer me up while giving me this speech of yours makes me want to punch you. I know full well I wont find any aliens while looking for a boyfriend, and I can tell you're only trying to keep my hopes up until I'm ready to accept my boring life completely.

I appreciate the sentiment though.

Truth be told, I have considered this option many times before. I'm a healthy young girl, and my body has the same needs as everyone else. A boyfriend wouldn't be a bad thing by any means, but relationships and love only end up causing more problems and drama in exchange for a few brief moments of pleasure. What if I don't feel like taking on all that troublesome stuff because of a short moment of weakness.

And then there's Kyon himself. Maybe he was hinting at something with that last part. Could it be possible he's considered asking me out but finds my unwillingness to settle to be a problem? I guess he doesn't think he can handle having a girlfriend constantly frustrate herself whenever her constant searching turns up nothing.

Wait, would that mean he's looking out for me or himself?

I guess that kind of life wouldn't be too bad though. Kyon's not half bad, and he's certainly more interesting than any other boy in this school. I know if I was ever forced to find myself a boyfriend he'd probably be my first choice. I might even enjoy myself for a while. But all this comes at a price. Is it really worth giving up everything I want now?

And what about the SOS Brigade? I just formed it. I can't abandon it just so I can start dating.

"Then why not make a club that involves some form of entertainment. That would attract more people."

"No."

I was foolish to let myself begin to fall for Kyon's talk.

The SOS Brigade was formed so people like us could have a fighting chance at resisting this horrible normal world that refuses to let us exist. Yuki, Mikuru, Koizumi, haven't they ever wanted excitement? Have they really settled for normal and given up on their dreams?

I didn't start the SOS Brigade because I wanted to meet more people in general. I tried so hard at the beginning of the year and that wasn't enough, but with the help of my own Brigade I finally had a chance. I recruited a cute girl like Mikuru and even a mysterious transfer student, but nothing is happening.

I followed Kyon's advice to take action into my own hands, but in the end I'm forced to sit back and wait again. Once again I find myself wasting away in class, wondering how much more I can endure before I'm forced to give up like Kyon, who seems to understand I'm turning down his hidden confession and can only give me looks of pity.

Maybe someday in the future I could accept Kyon and his world of settlement, but for now I've yet to find a reason that my actions have reached the point of hopelessness.

Although it sure feels like it…

* * *

><p>Kyon's pity was almost comforting, but I figured things have reached their absolute lowest point once others began to ask if I was doing well. I decided not to bother with club activities again once Asakura Ryouko asked me if I wanted to see the school nurse. If I'm bad enough to attract her attention again then I'm clearly not fit for club activities today.<p>

After class I told Kyon I was feeling tired and wanted to go home. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I felt a little disappointed when he seemed perfectly fine going on without me. I guess one Suzumiya free day was all it took to get used to the emptier clubroom.

"We'll resume club activities when I feel better. Don't do too much without me."

"Feel better, Suzumiya."

Once again I found myself walking away, unable to turn around to see if Kyon was watching me leave. I thought once again about his boyfriend talk. I guess it was definitely a possibility, but I feel he made it clear we weren't going anywhere until I gave up my search for excitement. I guess he finds my optimism cute enough to stick around, but not enough to form a full relationship with. I guess that's understandable.

Kyon's a nice boy, but it looks like "Feel better, Suzumiya" is the most our friendship is going to get. Oddly enough though I didn't feel this was a problem.

Give me just a little more time Kyon. I'm not ready to give up quite yet.

* * *

><p>The next day, almost as if a god took pity and threw me a freebie, something quite unusual happened.<p>

"Well class, it seems Asakura Ryouko will no longer be attending this school."

Asakura Ryouko, who just yesterday was trying to mother me in another attempt at friendship, has transferred.

This was no ordinary transfer either. Asakura Ryouko had transferred without prior notice to anyone, not even the teaching staff. It seems even Okabe-sensei and his colleages were puzzled themselves when they received notice that Miss Asakura had moved yesterday.

Since no explanation was given, everyone assumed her father had been transferred and Asakura chose not to alarm her friends of her leaving. I, of course, was not satisfied with this answer.

Why would Asakura leave without warning? This morning the class was filled with shocked girls and angry boys upset at their great loss. Asakura was never the type to willingly invoke such a reaction in other people. And surely she had some friends close enough to learn about her family's moving. She could easily have sworn them to secrecy if she didn't want rumours to spread.

Even more bizarre was the fact that the school itself had received no prior notice. Asakura's refusal to create a scene was one thing, but why would her parents choose not to let the school know when they'd be leaving?

Even if it was decided that the Asakura family would wait until the last second to inform anybody of their leave, wouldn't it be easier on everyone to have Ryouko inform the school on her last day? It seems quite contrived to have a message be sent after the entire family had already left the morning after.

And let's not forget that it seems quite convenient for Asakura to transfer out shortly after Koizumi transfers to this school. It was probably just a coincidence, but the spectacular fact that two mysterious student transfers happen in such short time was absolutely some sort of sign.

This was, without a doubt, a mystery, and the solution was bound to have some very interesting revelations. There's no way I could pass this up.

As soon as I could I made my way to the staff room where I found Okabe-sensei between classes. It seems I'm not the only one who asked for information regarding this mystery, so the full story was already ironed out by the time I had asked.

In case you're wondering, the full details is that someone claiming to be Asakura's dad called the school this morning to inform everyone that Asakura and her family had to move due to some emergency, to Canada of all places!

Unfortunately, that's about all the information I could get from Okabe-sensei. The school had no emergency contact information or any way to get in touch with Asakura. The fact that she moved to Canada was absolutely everything they knew.

The oddities didn't end there. After asking around school, not only did I discover that there indeed wasn't a single student who heard from Asakura, but nobody even knew what junior high school she went to. As far as anybody could tell, she mysteriously showed up to this school at the beginning of the year and just as mysteriously vanished.

Probably most unsettling though was the fact that Kyon seems to have disappeared during lunch time. After our talk the other day I decided to get Asakura's old address from the school so Kyon and I could investigate this mystery together. This was my chance to prove to him that it's too early to give up now.

The funny thing is, I think this is the second time I had to skip lunch while waiting for Kyon. The hunger I feel now is one that brings an unusual sense of nostalgia. At the very least it seems like Kyon left his lunch here in class along with his bag, so it looks like the two of us will be starving together. Should I be upset that this is the most romantic experience of my life so far?

By the time he arrived in class there wasn't much time left before the next class period started, so I had to quickly drag him someplace private to let him know what I found out.

"Something funny is going on here," I summed up.

"No there isn't!"

All day Kyon has been turning down my thoughts about Asakura's disappearance. All I wanted was one last chance to prove him wrong. Does he want me to give up and join him in his misery that badly? Just how can he be so absolutely certain that our plan will fail?

By this point Kyon had elevated his voice in his objections, something he rarely does. He doesn't want me investigating, and he doesn't want me to succeed. I understand that he and I have apparently formed a mutual understanding that once all this was over we could settle down together and see how that goes, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to find something even better. It's worth a try isn't it?

Reaching into my pocket I pulled out the address I obtained earlier.

"I asked for Asakura Ryouko's old address. After school I'm going down there to have a look around. We might actually find something there."

Kyon avoided my eyes struggling to make contact with his. I could see he was afraid. He probably went down this road already, having searched and searched as hard as he could in the hopes that there's something better out there, but never finding it.

I'm sorry Kyon, I know you don't want to go through this again and risk disappointment, but we've been given one last chance, and I want us to take it.

"You're coming with me."

"What? Why!?"

"Because…"

I didn't want to take this leap alone. Kyon knew I was likely to fail before now. Deep down, I knew that as well. But I took those risks, and this time I want to show him those risks might just well be worth it. If this turns out to be a dead end then we'll fall together. But if we both find something…

"Because you're a member of the SOS Brigade!"

There would be no questions. Whether he planned to succeed or not Kyon still joined my club. He still followed me, even when he suspected I wouldn't find anything in my searches around town or at school. Somewhere in there, Kyon wanted me to succeed. He wanted the SOS Brigade to succeed, and that's why I have to take him with me.

Kyon and I went our separate ways after that. I went to class, but he went off somewhere else again. Since he didn't come back in time to eat his lunch I decided to wait as well.

"Did you eat yet?" I asked on the next class recess.

And that was how Kyon and I quickly ate lunch together between classes. It was definitely not a lunch date or anything.

* * *

><p>"We should let the others know we wont be coming to the club today."<p>

"I left a note during lunchtime and told Nagato-san not to wait up."

So that's where he went. I'm surprised he had the foresight to take care of everything for me so quickly.

I had the paper in my hands again and read the address one more time.

"I think I know where this is. Let's go."

This time I didn't have to drag Kyon behind me, nor did he linger. We walked the whole way shoulder to shoulder. If anyone saw us they'd probably assume he was walking me home.

I had no idea what he was thinking though. The entire trip was silent, and every time I heard him mutter something he'd insist it was nothing.

Luckily the walk wasn't very far. Eventually we arrived at a fairly new looking apartment complex. This was the place.

"This is the place. Asakura lived here, in Room 505."

"Makes sense."

Makes sense? What makes sense? Was there something Asakuraish about this building?

"It's nothing. So how do you expect to get in? It's locked. You need a code to get inside. Do you know it?"

Well then it looks like we'll have to play the waiting game. Kyon never questioned what we were waiting for, and it wasn't long before he saw through my plan.

A few minutes later a middle aged woman walked out of the building. She gave us an odd glance then went on her merry way.

"Alright, hurry!"

Kyon looked down and saw the door hadn't closed. It remained lodged open with my foot, which I expertly placed in the way so we could sneak in. It was a pretty simple trick, but I felt impressed with my ninja detective skills nonetheless.

Our expert sneak-in made me wonder if Kyon was in the mood for proper detective work yet, so I decided to spark up a conversation at last while we waited in the elevator.

"There's been a lot of fishy things about Asakura. Did you know she didn't attend any schools here before?"

Kyon silently beamed his thoughts at me. Is that so?

"She transferred to North High from another town. Isn't that suspicious? North High isn't famous for anything, so why would she come from another town just to come here?"

"Dunno."

"She lives close to the school though, and these apartments are pretty expensive. You have to pay with cash, not rent. That must cost a lot. How long has she even been here? Did she commute by train to her old school before?"

"I said I don't know."

I guess it's official. Kyon's only tagging along to humour me. He's absolutely sure that by the end of the day we'll have found nothing unusual, which is odd, since this mystery has really piqued my interest.

Of course, the fact he's bothering to come all this way for something he doesn't think is worth the effort shows he at least cares. He really would make a good boyfriend, not that I have to worry about that at the moment.

As expected, Asakura's apartment was locked and appeared to be empty. We couldn't exactly find a way to get a good look inside though. There were no notes on the door or suspicious items left outside her window. Our first lead led nowhere. I could sense Kyon fighting back the urge to yawn already.

Our next destination was to look for a concierge and ask some questions.

"I doubt he'll lend us a key."

Never mind the apartment, Kyon. I just want to ask when Asakura moved in.

"Let's just go home. Even if we knew, what can we do?"

"No."

I wasn't ready to give up just yet. It didn't help that I soon began to feel weak though. Maybe I need more exercise.

Kyon's cynicism managed to wait long enough for me to ask some questions around the front desk.

"Ah yes, I know that girl."

We were greeted by an old man who was unfortunately hard of hearing, so it was a while before I got anything resembling an answer to my questions.

"I was just as shocked as you were actually. One morning I just got word that she up and moved overnight. I didn't even see any movers, but all her furniture was gone. It gave me the creeps actually. Quite strange."

I turned to look at Kyon, who was busy staring at the floor, waiting for me to finish up. Just what does it take to convince him this isn't normal?

"Can you tell us when she moved in?"

"Yes, about three years ago. I remember that day well. That pretty little lady gave me a box of treats. She sure was sweet, and cute too!"

I don't have time for some dirty old man reminiscing, Kyon's losing focus!

"Here's the thing though, she payed for the whole apartment all at once, with cash. That must be a rich family to afford to pay that much at once. Come to think of it, although I've seen that pretty young lady several times, I don't recall ever meeting her parents."

This sounds so fishy, even King Neptune would raise an eyebrow.

"It's a shame she's gone now though. I was hoping she'd at least say goodbye before moving…such a pity. Oh, but you're pretty cute as well!"

Once the old man set his sights on me (I hope he doesn't have a sailor uniform fetish) I could tell I got all the information I needed. Despite Kyon beginning to trail behind I felt that this was turning out to be a bigger mystery than I imagined.

As I suspected, Asakura moved here before the high school year began, but she didn't attend any schools here as far as anyone could tell, so just where did she go during those three years? She couldn't possibly have commuted to her old town by train every day could she? I was only half serious when I considered that possibility.

And what about her parents? Not only did they have enough money to pay everything up front, but they were never seen outside their apartment and they managed to move all their furniture overnight. Just what was going on here?

Something unusual had happened to Asakura, and I had to find out what it was, but how?

"_Even if we knew, what can we do?"_

Wait a minute, this is what he meant isn't it? Did Kyon solve this mystery before I did? I turned around and saw him excusing himself from the old man, who apparently tried to start another conversation with us.

Kyon, is this why you wanted me to give up so badly? Could it be that he was right all along? I know now what kind of mystery this is, but Asakura has vanished completely and nobody knows where she left to or where she came from. I know that there's something unusual here, but I can't continue. Who do I ask now? Where do I search? I didn't want to admit it, but I had no idea what to do next.

Just when I was about to ask Kyon though, I was interrupted by a familiar face.

"Yuki?"

"…"

There she was, our familiar bookworm, seen in her natural environment. In her hands were convenience store bags full of canned food. Surprisingly, there wasn't a single book in sight.

"Don't tell me you live here too. What a coincidence!"

Kyon had caught up at this point, surprised to see just who I was talking to. Don't give up yet, Kyon. We just might have a new lead.

Please, tell me you know something Yuk. Have you heard anything about Asakura?

She shook her head. The answer was no. She's in the dark, just like the rest of us. Well there goes that final chance.

"I see," I muttered, trying not to break down In front of two of my Brigade members. "If you hear anything about Asakura be sure to let me know."

I guess it was foolish of me to expect Yuki of all people to know something. She may be in a new location, but I was staring at the exact same silent girl who sat in our clubroom without ever saying a word.

Wait, something was odd about this. It's not the groceries, it's not the setting, something seemed different. Where were her glasses?

Thinking back, there was that one time I made Mikuru pose for pictures with Yuki's glasses. As far as I could tell, Yuki had no problems reading without them while waiting for the photo shoot to finish. Could it be she doesn't need glasses at all? Does she wear them to look cute or something? Then why'd she stop?

"Where are your glasses?"

Yuki looked silently at us both. The fact that she didn't give a quick answer like "They broke" or "I lost them" makes me think I was right to assume it was a conscious decision on her part to try the lens free look. I kind of liked her with glasses though.

We said our goodbyes and let Yuki head to her apartment. I wonder what kind of home she has. Or even more, what kind of parents she had. I secretly hoped that whatever caused her fashion decision, the SOS Brigade had a part in it. That would mean we're slowly getting her to break out of her shell.

Last weekend she ignored the SOS Brigade to look at more books, but if she's starting to change her appearance for whatever reason than maybe there's some deeper thoughts in that little head of hers. Maybe she wants to look cuter and get some attention like Mikuru. Who knows?

Of course, now that my mind was back to last weekend I remembered that Yuki wasn't the only one who didn't care. Behind me was Kyon, the boy who thought it was foolish for us mere mortals to think we could get involved in something bigger.

And I dragged him all the way out here for nothing! He's probably thinking of the many ways he could say "I told you so" before walking me home, like a normal high school student. But there's no way this can be it can it?

I tried my best. I finally found a big mystery and followed every lead I had. Just what could I do next? It was all guesswork from here on out. I was back to square one, and I've learned from experience by now that square one was not a place of good news.

Dammit, I don't want to cry. I don't want to punch anything. I just wanted to prove everyone wrong. Koizumi's theories on how my mission was theoretically impossible. Mikuru's reluctance to play along with me. Yuki's unwillingness to speak out and let us know any of her thoughts. Everyone felt the same as Kyon did.

This search was getting me nowhere.

"Where are we going now?"

I don't even know anymore. I feel like I'm just walking aimlessly and hoping for one last chance before I'm forced to surrender.

"Then can I go home now?"

I had to stop. I suddenly felt weak. My heart was racing and sweat ran down my palms. Why must my human biology choose to embarrass me at a time like this?

I didn't want Kyon to leave. I finally understood what he was feeling. I knew it was cruel of me to bring him out here and force him to deal with yet another dead end. I can only imagine how many dead ends he's already faced before, and here I was forcing it upon him all over again.

I'm not doing this to hurt anyone. I just don't want to give up. I've spent so long running away from my normal life that I just have to believe there's a way out. Doesn't Kyon understand? I know right now we're both useless little specks of dust with no hopes of obtaining anything more than that, but is it really pointless to keep trying?

"Do you ever like you're just a small nail on this Earth?"

Wait, someone's talking. Was that me?

I'm not quite sure what brought me to say such a thing. Thinking back I could have made much more poetic sounding comparisons if I wanted, but by this point I was just speaking without thinking.

I had to let Kyon know why I can't give up. He has to know that no matter how impossible it seems I'd much rather keep trying and failing than accept perpetual nothingness.

I think it was sixth grade when it all began. Maybe some stray thoughts entered my head here or there, but my childlike optimism never paid it much attention before then.

Suddenly I remembered something from my past. I went to a baseball game with my family. I'll never forget how small I felt that day. There were people everywhere. I've never seen so many people in one place. My younger self was so shocked, I actually got out a calculator when I went home and did the math. That huge stadium was just a tiny percentage of the world's population, and I was smaller than a grain of sand among that crowd.

I know as I grew older, from that day on, I began to realize that things aren't as special as I once thought. The people I knew at school were no more or less interesting than the other billions upon billions of people on Earth. The food I grew to love was just child's play compared to what the world's finest had to offer. The town I thought so beautiful paled in comparison to the greatest monuments built by man.

My life wasn't just average, it was nowhere close to the true excitement I once thought I lived. The things I enjoyed were exactly the same as countless others have already experienced before me. Life was boring, and so was I.

I knew there were some interesting people out there. In a sea of billions some people had to be the best of the best. So why couldn't I even get to glimpse what that life was like? In the end I decided I had to change. I could no longer be the boring girl that was no different from everyone else. But here I was, years later, and nothing has changed.

And here I was, no longer even aware of what I was saying to this young boy who I knew felt just as lost as I was. I had no idea where my thoughts ended and where my words began, I just knew that I couldn't stop talking for the longest time, and when I finally finished all I could do was hope I didn't absentmindedly say something I shouldn't have.

Suddenly, the world stopped. Somewhere in his grave Einstein was smiling proudly as his theory of relativity proved itself to me. The world felt as if it had resolved around the sun a million times in a mere second. The alarm from the train tracks buzzed louder and louder. I didn't even notice it until the train sped be behind me, pushing my hair aside.

I waited for that eternity, not only wondering what forbidden box I had opened to create this disaster with my words, but also what Kyon would say in response. It would have to wait for this endless train to stop, and sooner or later, I'd hear what he had to say.

"Is that so?"

Not knowing how long I had talked I had no idea if that response was appropriate or not. Just what else was he going to say? Should we embrace each other? Keep talking? Did I want to cry or yell at the sky? I had no idea, and as far as I could tell I stood there in silence, waiting for absolutely nothing.

"Let's go home," I said.

I turned around and walked away. It wasn't until a few blocks down that I realized Kyon was no longer following me. I guess his home was in another direction and I never noticed him leave onto his separate path. The fact that we had parted so seamlessly without effort made me feel very sad all of a sudden.

I didn't know what to feel. What did I even say? What did all this mean?

Am I giving up? The mystery of Asakura Ryouko no longer felt relevant. I had exhausted all my resources and gotten nowhere. There was nothing more I could do.

But was I giving up mysteries altogether, or just this one?

I don't think I can go back to living a normal life after spending so many years trying desperately to avoid being like everyone else. Can I even be happy in that situation?

And what about Kyon? Was it fair for me to force him to deal with all these dead ends? It was clear that he no longer felt the disappointment was worth the effort. The anguish I felt now was too much for him, so much so that he'd rather accept a boring normal life, with the only upside being that he might get a new girlfriend named Haruhi in the near or distant future.

How much longer could this continue before I end up like him?

When I got home I managed to decide on one thing. I wanted to cry. Unfortunately, no progress was made there either.

Once again I was no longer looking forward to school or club meetings at all.


	6. The Melancholy - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next day I was mildly grateful that Mr. Sun decided to rise and shine even sooner, turning our lovely town into a more blazing inferno than the one from yesterday. It made the walk to school all the more unpleasant, but the heat proved a wonderful distraction from the many events that I no longer wished to think about.

In the classroom I found myself almost anxious to see Kyon walk through those doors and head towards the empty seat in front of me. After my performance yesterday I had no idea how he'd act.

Once he did arrive though, it seemed like any other day. He gave me a "Yo" and sat down in his desk, probably wondering what the hell my brain will think up now before my mouth spews it out without permission.

"Kyon, I'm hot."

"So am I."

Small talk was better than silence, right? I can't tell yet.

"Fan me with your book."

"If I had the energy to fan anyone I'd be fanning myself."

Kyon remained quiet after that, having deemed my cry for comfort unworthy of his extra effort. Somewhere in the back of my head I sensed a slight alarm of irony going off.

Once it became clear that Kyon hadn't quite reached the stage where he's willing to make his good friend Haruhi feel cooler when she needs it I figured a change of subject would be fitting before he tries to give me another boyfriend speech.

"What do you think Mikuru-chan should wear next?"

This was almost a trick question, since I ordered a nurse costume for Mikuru a while back, which should arrive this week, but after that all my original orders will have arrived, leaving me to start again with new ideas.

The thought of what kind of outfit Mikuru should wear next hadn't even crossed my mind in quite some time, as have most Brigade activities ever since our previous weekend resulted in questionable discoveries.

Still, it was rather nice thinking of my Brigade's future. Whether we find unusual activity around town, and even if no one but the chief has any actual expectations, I still had four students willing to attend the clubroom I arranged for them in order to follow my ideas, so I shouldn't let any lingering feelings between Kyon and myself regarding my future get in the way of that.

Outside our contemplating talk last Saturday I don't recall having had any real conversation with Koizumi. Come to think of it, I don't recall seeing him at all much this week. Yuki had decided against wearing glasses for some mysterious reason, which proves she has some form of thoughts running in her mind while reading.

Maybe I should get a costume for Yuki too. It would be nice for all three SOS Brigade girls to have matching bunny girl outfits. Speaking of which, I wouldn't mind having that bunny girl outfit on right now. This uniform had trapped far too much heat onto my skin for my own liking

Meanwhile, Kyon seemed to be genuinely considering his response at last. I wonder what kind of outfits he'd like. Would he prefer something sexier, like a cat girl, or maybe something more elegant, like a queen.

Looking at his blushing face I could tell he was definitely thinking up ideas. Maybe making him think of Mikuru changing clothes wasn't the best idea. I managed to replace his somewhat intellectual face with that of an idiot thinking perverted thoughts. Well that's just great.

I'm so bored now.

My conversation with Kyon implied we were still in our unusual friendship with no hard feelings about yesterday's goose chase. Maybe he really does understand, but like our search for Asakura, there was nowhere left to go after this.

Along with the disgusting heat making me sweat constantly, today's discussion did an excellent job of bringing me out of my melancholic state. If anything, I should probably feel embarrassed for letting something both Kyon and I have dealt with our whole lives bring me down like that.

Unfortunately, now that I've returned to my usual state I saw just how ordinary my new life changes had been. Dressing up Mikuru was fun, but I never expected such an idea to be the highlight of my days. The SOS Brigade I created began as an idea for something original, unlike any of those boring clubs, but in the end it felt more or less the same.

What have I really accomplished?

The immediate answer was turning Kyon's mind to whatever kind of cute outfits we could dress Mikuru in. It was apparent that even by the end of the day, once everyone was changed in their PE uniforms for Okabe's unanimously hated marathons, Kyon's mind was still in the gutter.

When I later caught him getting more than a good look of me in my uniform, which showed off my legs and clung to my chest from the heat, I seriously began to wonder if I couldn't have picked a worse day to bring up this morning's discussions. Apparently Kyon was in one of those moods today.

"Before I arrive in the clubroom I forbid you from doing anything funny to Mikuru-chan."

Thinking of what kind of crazy things Kyon might get up to when I'm not around to see Mikuru's body tempt him, I was gratefully greeted by a hands up gesture by Kyon. "Alright alright, I'll behave" is what he seemed to be telecommunicating to me.

After school I quickly finished up the class duties I had. While in class I overheard some girls outside in the halls discussing the mystery of Asakura Ryouko's disappearance. It was a nice piece of gossip around the school, but nobody took it further than mere inquiry.

Trust me guys, if it were possible to get any real answers I'd have been all over it by now.

With some time alone to my thoughts as I walked to the clubroom I simultaneously thought of the heat as well as my earlier thoughts of what the SOS Brigade should do next. Searching the town proved to be inefficient with the way I handled it last time, and it was still too soon after the fliers incident for me to try anything risky with the school yet.

By the time I climbed up the last of those stairs all I could do was sigh. Today hadn't left me in the best of moods, but I had to keep going. I had a club to run, and I couldn't keep backing out of it like I have lately.

Before reaching the door previously marked only "Literature Club", I was still in a manageable mood. Things weren't exactly looking up, but the downward spiral had ended.

If I could travel back in time five seconds I'd kick myself for ever thinking my life would let me get away with such positive thoughts.

There, in the SOS Brigade clubroom, awaited Kyon, along with our two lovely ladies, Mikuru and Yuki. The three of them were all alone without any of Chief Suzumiya's surveillance.

Yuki was miraculously focused on something besides her book, which makes this at least the second time Kyon has managed to make her break her routine while I was away. How does he always manage to get reactions from her? Next you'll be telling me he's the reason she decided to change her appearance. Kyon's not a glasses man it seems.

Of course, both Yuki and I were focused on the bigger part of the picture. There, at the desk usually reserved for Brigade Chief, was Kyon. Mikuru was also there at his shoulder, as well as the rest of his body.

"Asahina-san, please let go…"

"C'mon, just a peek! Please!"

The two appeared to be wrestling over the computer mouse, although wrestling might or might not be the appropriate word here.

Already clad in her maid uniform, Mikuru was smiling and giggling away as she pressed her body against Kyon, reaching playfully at the device he was teasing her with. I don't think I've ever seen Mikuru giggle like that, or at all really. Why can't I ever get a reaction like that from her?

Kyon seemed to be resisting this game of reverse tug-of-war, but his mind was noticeably wandering like before. Mikuru's breasts were almost pressed right up against his face, which had left him vulnerable and close to defeat as the elegant maid girl continued to press her body closer to the only male in the room.

Mikuru had just about won this game of cat and computer mouse when I decided that an explanation as to what context was happening here would be helpful. It must have been quite the spectacle if even Yuki was watching wide-eyed to see where this courtship was leading.

"What are you two doing?"

Mikuru froze like frightened kitten while Kyon took a few seconds to snap out of his ogling state upon seeing me in my PE uniform once more.

Yuki tuned out the following scene and escaped into her books once more. During this, Mikuru was at attention again as she sat herself down on the seat, giving off an almost inaudible whimper as she glared at the wall before her, too scared to move or look in any other direction.

Didn't I specifically tell Kyon to control himself earlier? This is the same boy who previously turned down a chance to grope the legendary Asahina's large breasts right?

"So now you're into maids, Kyon?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He knew what I meant exactly, so I wasted no time moving to the next order of business. Whatever naughty stuff was going on in my clubroom was over, so my attention was now back to the unbearable heat.

"I need to change."

If it were just us girls I'd probably have stripped down to my underwear to beat the heat, but seeing as there was an obviously attentive teenage boy present I'd have to settle for the slightly more decent bunny girl costume sitting in the clothes rack in the corner.

Kyon merely sipped his tea, making a poor attempt at hiding the clear effect his hormones had on him. Does he expect me to let him stay while I changed? This isn't PE class you perv. Give me some privacy for crying out loud! I said I'm going to change!

"So?"

So get out!

Before I got Kyon out of the room he spilled tea all over my desk. Talk about clumsy! Luckily we have our very own maid, so I found a cloth and tossed it to her before I began undressing without a word. Mikuru obviously doesn't mind playing maid for Kyon after all.

By the time I got into the black leotard of my own personal costume I decided there was no point bothering with the other accessories. I wasn't here to give Kyon eye candy, that's for sure. Of course, I still couldn't resist wearing the bunny ears. It's always bunny ears time.

Mikuru had thoroughly cleaned my desk by hand and was soon back to her maid duties making my tea. Yuki sat in her corner reading, as usual. As far as I can tell nothing I do can get as big a reaction from her than if Kyon did it. I'm sure if Kyon changed in this room her eyes would be all over him. Of course, I'd probably have difficulty myself trying not to stare at such a ridiculous sight as Kyon in a bunny girl costume.

It will be many centuries before I can erase that mental image from my head.

When Mikuru served me my tea she began to look over at the door I had shut to keep our resident pervert out. I had yet to inform Kyon that he could return, and I honestly had no interest to. He'll find his way in eventually.

No surprise, by the time Mikuru eventually got up the courage to let him in, Kyon was ready to comment on my attire.

"Cool enough for you?"

Unfortunately my plan had done little to make the heat bearable. My arms and back were now exposed to the slightly cooler air, but I had forgotten how tight the costume was. My chest and stomach were feeling much more constricted than before, leaving parts of my body better off than before while the other half suffered.

"Woah, is there a costume party today? My apologies for not wearing one myself."

Koizumi Itsuki entered the clubroom, sparing me from having to deal with more of Kyon's frisky mood today. The two boys eventually settled on playing some more board games.

Meanwhile, with nothing better to do I had Mikuru sit in my chair while I fiddled with her hair. I was a bit frustrated to discover she looked cute no matter what hairstyle I gave her.

And that was how the SOS Brigade spent the evening together. Mikuru let out tiny yelps and shivered every time I touched her, but she remained mostly still and let me play with her like a young girl letting her big sister do her hair. Yuki was back to enjoying her book while Koizumi struggled to conquer Kyon's black pieces on their Othello board.

Kyon himself seems to have calmed down and is contempt with taking occasional glances at how everyone was enjoying themselves. Today's meeting of the SOS Brigade was uneventful. It was just five high school students passing the time together in a small room. Nothing amazing happened here. Everything was ordinary.

I understood slightly what Kyon saw in this. As long as Kyon keeps his focus outside of his pants this club is rather relaxing. I can see why some people would abandon any chance of finding excitement if this was their consolation prize.

But after all that's happened, I finally had to admit to myself that I wasn't one of those people.

The day officially ended once Yuki closed her book and got up to leave. Everyone else took this as a sign to head home. They all seemed content. Like our search across town it appears I'm the only one not satisfied with what the Brigade has to show for itself.

Koizumi politely excused himself while Kyon gave a lazy wave before shutting the door so Mikuru and I could get changed. Mikuru seemed nervous to be left alone with me, but I didn't bother helping her get dressed this time.

By the time I was back in my uniform and ready to go home Mikuru was still fumbling with her maid uniform and not even halfway undressed. She was going to take a while, so I merely left and let her take her sweet time.

That was the official end of today's Brigade activities. I wonder if this is what we have to look forward to.

That night seemed just as eventful. For the first time in a while I didn't mind doing homework. I ate dinner quietly and watched some TV before bed. If you were to judge me based off my activities today you might say I'm just another perfectly content high school girl.

But that's not what I wanted.

It was clear now that I may never be able to accept such a life. It was also just as painfully obvious that I was alone in this line of thinking. I guess I'll have to continue my search alone while everyone else watches from the sidelines.

If I ever find something, I'll be sure to rub it in Kyon's face before making him take me out to an "I told you so" dinner. He'll pay of course.

…

Something didn't seem right.

…

I woke up to a few questions later that night. My first thought was how uncomfortable my bed has become, but thankfully that worry fled when I realized I was lying on the cold hard ground.

That can't be right…

Sitting up I noticed plenty more oddities. For one thing, I was suddenly in my school uniform. This would have been more alarming had I not found myself staring at the interior of North High itself. When did I end up here? I'm certain I was complaining about my simple life in my warm bed just a while ago.

Perhaps more unusual was what I found shortly after coming to my senses and realizing the full implications of my surroundings. Lying on the ground not far from where I woke up was a familiar figure.

Kyon?

As much as I never quite expected to wake up next to Kyon I was definitely relieved to see someone nearby. As far as I could tell the entire school was abandoned, as one would expect it to be in the middle of the night.

I gently slapped and shook Kyon for a few minutes before resorting to more violent shakes once I saw just how heavy a sleeper he was.

"Kyon, wake up already!"

Thankfully the young man before me eventually groaned and pushed himself up, taking a while to register what was going on like I did just a few minutes ago.

Kyon propped himself up and rubbed his cheek, the same one I just touched. My hands were still warm. I definitely felt his face. The hard floor by the foot lockers where we found ourselves by was already beginning to make my knees sore. This definitely didn't feel like a dream.

Then again, now that I got a good look at things, it didn't quite feel real either. Everything was dark, but not in the same sense you'd get from seeing an unlit building at night. The skies appeared more grey, almost as if they just didn't exist. It was like a sort of visible darkness.

Whatever was going on this wasn't normal. Even if I were indeed dreaming, I don't recall ever experiencing such an unusual yet lifelike dream.

Just what was going on?

"Haruhi, are we the only ones here?"

Once Kyon and I were both up it seems he was in the detective mode that had eluded me for quite some time now.

I answered as best as I could, since I knew about as much as he did. I've yet to see anyone here besides myself and Kyon.

"Have you seen Koizumi?"

Koizumi? Why would Kyon mention Koizumi specifically? What about Mikuru or Yuki?

"Never mind, just asking. Anyways, we should leave the school now. Maybe we'll run into someone."

Kyon began to move, which is when I noticed something odd about him. Kyon wasn't phased at all. He didn't seem confused or frightened by the fact that he woke up in a strange, colourless version of school, and he was awfully quick to take charge.

Why are you so calm Kyon?

He walked ahead of me, almost prepared for this kind of thing. Once we reached a short distance though he stopped dead in his tracks. A few moments later I had caught up and learned why.

Something was blocking us. There was nothing in front of myself or Kyon, just thin air. However, it was clear when I reached out my hands that an unusual rubber-like force was resisting our movements. This was an invisible wall!

More surprisingly, Kyon once again showed little curiosity towards such an unusual blockage. Maybe I was wrong about his lack of interest in the Asakura case. Maybe Kyon's just very difficult to surprise.

After poking the invisible wall once or twice, Kyon immediately turned around.

"Let's try the back entrance!"

"Is there any way to contact anyone?" I asked. I didn't have my cell phone with me, but we could search for a phone.

Kyon led the way to the inside of the school. He obviously had a better idea of what we were doing than I was, so I had no choice but to hold onto his coat tightly. I definitely don't want to get separated at a time like this.

The lights all seemed to work, so we went through a couple classrooms to check if anyone else was around. No such luck though. Eventually we found our way into the staff room (after Kyon worked some smashing magic on the window to bypass the locked door), but the phones there proved to be useless.

"Doesn't seem to work."

Kyon wasn't saying much by this point.

"How about we go up to our classroom? We can get a good view from up there."

Kyon quietly nodded in approval and cautiously escorted me over the broken glass before we resumed our search. The school felt unnaturally huge now that it was empty. I've never felt this way in all the times I've crossed these halls during the daytime.

"If you're scared at least hold my arm. It looks more natural that way."

Idiot, I think what part of you I hold onto is a fairly minor detail at this point. At least he was finally talking though.

Of course, we were both silent once we reached our usual 1-5 classroom. Outside the window was a world not unlike the one I saw every day when I would burn a hole through these glass windows with my stares.

This was definitely not the same town I grew up in though. There were no lights. No people. It was as if the entire world just disappeared overnight, leaving only me and Kyon behind. Just what was going on? Where was this strange world of darkness?

This all felt so strange. All I could do was hold my shoulders, although it's not like it was cold. In fact, the air around school felt much too still. Neither hot nor cold, as if there was nothing there.

"Come on, let's go."

Kyon decided we should keep looking. This time I almost reached for his hand before falling behind and forcing myself to catch up.

My companion in all this proved to be surprisingly handy in an emergency. He had already swiped some keys while we were in the staff room, allowing us to access our clubroom. Unfortunately there was not much of use up here. The radio didn't work and the same lifeless view greeted us outside the window.

Kyon took this time to brew us some tea, although I don't know why he'd think I'd want tea at a time like this.

The sound of a single cup of tea being sipped was all that could be heard besides myself as I thought out loud. I didn't understand anything that was happening. And why was I here with Kyon of all people.

Just what was it about Kyon? Not only was he here, he suddenly seemed competent in manners like this, as if he were used to waking up in strange places. Just what kind of things has he been up to in the past?

"I'm going to take a look outside."

As I excused myself I decided it was best I do some searching on my own at last. Kyon's easy state made me uncomfortable for some reason.

I told Kyon to stay behind as I worked my way down the stairs. The entire building was lit up after my search through with Kyon, but it still felt eerie. Going outside felt even worse. Everything looked so still.

I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for. I managed to run into the invisible wall a few times and eventually realized that it was more of an invisible dome around the school than a series of walls. I wonder if those walls extended underground.

After sitting down on a bench for a few minutes I began to feel a bit lonely. I don't know why, but suddenly my unease around Kyon seems to have disappeared and I wanted his company again.

Shrugging off whatever Freudian excuses filled my head explaining such a response I made my way back up the building. Just when I was nearing the top of the stairs near the clubroom though something unexpected happened.

The dimly lit halls suddenly became bright, with a strong shade of blue everywhere. At first I thought something strange was happening with the lights, but then I saw my shadow extending onto the cold blue wall in front of me.

I turned slowly and laid eyes on the source of this strange sight.

The light came from outside. It was no ordinary light either. Not only was it directly outside the window, but it was moving. Just outside the building Kyon and I resided was a giant being, constantly emanating a bright blue aura.

Immediately I ran to the clubroom nearby to make sure Kyon was there. Sure enough he was staring out the window at the giant figure.

"Kyon, something's appeared! What is that thing?!"

My mind was racing and I don't think I could contain what I felt. This was…excitement! The very same thing I've been looking for all along. That word had almost lost meaning by now after all the times I thought of it to no avail, and now here it was, right in front of me, with no explanation.

Just what was I seeing? There was a tall humanoid being of light right before us! Was it an alien? A monster from another dimension? A weapon from a long lost civilization here on Earth? The possibilities were suddenly endless. And to think earlier in the day I was worrying about Mikuru's clothes and hairstyle.

My theories were cut short when Kyon grabbed my hand and dragged me off to the stairs. What are you doing? This isn't a time to run!

Before long the ground began to shake. Was that thing walking? The various crashing sounds outside implied something was crumbling. The school?

Kyon was in a panic and immediately led me outside. Sure enough, there was a blue giant was waving its unnatural hands around and smashing the school complex into useless debris in front of us. This thing was attacking the school building across from us and was large enough to crush us to bits.

But strangely enough, I wasn't afraid or worried. I had a strong feeling this creature was not evil. It could lead to something amazing. Why should we run away from it? I just know we'll be safe!

I had no idea what was going on, but I wanted to find out. This is the chance I've been waiting for, and Kyon too! He gave up on his dreams of finding mystery and excitement because he thought there was absolutely no way for people like us to stumble upon such a world, but here we both were!

Kyon, this is what we've always wanted! We don't have to settle anymore. We can have everything we ever dreamed about! We can live the life of excitement that's evaded us for so long!

"Don't you want to return to the original world?"

What was that? Kyon? Did you say something?

I didn't realize I was moving again. Kyon was leading me away from the giant. Why are we running?

"We can't stay here forever! There's no stores, there's no place to eat. There's no way out of this school. At this rate we'll starve to death!"

That was a very good point, but I didn't feel worried about that at all. Suddenly I had this strong feeling that everything will be fine. All that matters now is how happy I feel because of all this.

"Then what about the SOS Brigade? You started that club. Are you just going to leave it!?"

I don't even care about that anymore. Why should I use a club to find mysterious events when I was experiencing one right now?

"But I want to return to the original world."

What was he saying now?

"Before all this happened I never realized how much I liked my life the way it is. That's where I have that idiot Taniguchi, and Kunikida. Koizumi, Nagato, Asahina, even the long gone Asakura were all there."

I don't understand. Kyon, you wanted this just as much as I did. Even more! What happened to the guy who was too afraid of failure to chase his own dreams? You have it now! Why are you still refusing to step forward?

Who cares about leaving everyone behind? We'll see them again eventually. I'm certain this world wont be covered in darkness forever. We don't have to leave anyone behind, so why doesn't Kyon want to come with me?

"It doesn't work that way. This world isn't what you're thinking. I want to see those friends in the original world."

I don't understand these words at all. Why does he keep calling it the original world? Why is he so reluctant to step outside it for one moment? Didn't he pay attention to that boring meeting we had in the clubroom earlier? Nothing happened!

Kyon, aren't you sick of that boring world too? There was nothing special there. Don't you want to experience something interesting too? With me?

"I used to feel that way…"

Kyon, you have to understand, we're not leaving the old world forever. We'll still have our friends. We can settle down and start a family if that's what you want when this is over, I don't even care. I just want to experience the exciting world, just once. I don't care if it's only for tonight, we can finally live the life we wanted. We can finally prove the whole world wrong!

Kyon began to focus on me even more. I saw his hair flowing from the excitement going on right behind me. I could hear the giant. So many exciting things were happening at the school my back faced. So much was happening and all I could do was stare down Kyon as he tried to talk me into leaving all that behind.

"Haruhi, these last few days I've experienced many interesting things. You may not know it, but there's interesting people all around you. It's not even a stretch to say the whole world revolves around you. Everyone knows how special you are. You may not know it, but the world is heading in a very interesting direction."

My hand was being squeezed tight. I could feel no warmth around me but the one coming from Kyon's body. I can see how badly he wants the old world to become interesting, but why does he insist on taking the long way? Why can't he enjoy the interesting things happening now instead of waiting for them to happen otherwise?

Finally I looked over my shoulder. There, not only was the giant continuing its rampage, but more giants had followed. Look at that! How does Kyon ever expect to see anything like that in the "original" world?

I could feel Kyon tugging on my hand, but I resisted. I don't want to go back. Not yet. Before long he held my shoulders and pulled me closer, away from what remained of the school as the blue army grew larger and brighter.

"You know, I really liked your ponytail."

What? Don't say such random things! Why are you complimenting my hair from such a long time ago now?

"I don't know when, but since then I can't stop thinking of you in a ponytail. I think it suits you best."

Kyon brought his face close to mine. The first breeze I felt since we arrived here came from his mouth as his lips approached mine. Just what are you trying to pull here Kyon!

What do I even do in a situation like this? The next thing I knew I was being kissed by Kyon! Where did this come from? None of this made sense. Why is he kissing me now of all times? What happened to what we were talking about just now.

I was so unprepared I couldn't even think about resisting. All I could see were his eyes closed shut as his lips warmed mine. I wanted to do something. Should I hold him? Should I punch him? I just dangled there with my limp body as he continued to kiss me.

I must admit, it was a nice feeling, but the stark contrast and out of place nature of this sudden romantic gesture made it difficult to take in any enjoyment I would have had from such an act. Nothing was making sense in this world. What was going on?

That's it, isn't it? I must be dreaming. Kyon would never kiss me at a time like this. It's too unnatural. If the real Kyon were in this situation with me he'd still be arguing about how these blue giants are impossible and not worth our effort. This can't be real.

My first kiss, and from Kyon at that. I can't say my feelings for Kyon were strong enough to want something like this so suddenly, but I guess if I were to share a kiss with someone it could be much worse. After all, he was there with me from the beginning. He talked to me and said interesting things, long before the SOS Brigade was formed. The Brigade was even his idea!

Kyon was special to me. I'm smart enough not to be hasty. It's much too early to say I loved him, or even liked him like that, but I certainly wouldn't mind being kissed by him like this so long as it felt natural.

But none of this felt natural at all. Nothing was going the way it should. The world was never so convenient that it would drop me in the middle of an alien invasion. Kyon was never one to act this way. This world wasn't real. It couldn't be.

Do I even want this anymore? What good is living excitement if it's not even real? Kyon was right. The real world, the original world, there was bound to be excitement there somewhere. I was right. It wasn't worth giving up. I don't have to settle for a fantasy dream world.

I had to be patient. The world has something special out there somewhere, and I'd find it eventually. And Kyon, the real Kyon, would be there with me. Along with Mikuru, and Yuki, and Koizumi, and yes, even his idiot friends Taniguchi and Kunikida.

This dream world wasn't for me. Just as I felt myself being pulled away from Kyon, our lips having been in constant contact this whole time, I could sense that reality disappearing. I didn't need fake giants or romance. I want the real thing. And I'll only find it in the real world.

* * *

><p>I was in my room, and turning around I could see I was safely lying down on my bed, just as I had been when I went to sleep. My sheets were in a bit of disarray, but I was more or less where I was at the beginning of the night.<p>

That was easily the strangest dream I ever had. I had everything I wanted, but now I feel like it was a horrible nightmare. It figures things wouldn't be that easy.

I tossed and turned a bit, wondering how many dead philosophers it would take to crack that code I dreamt up without laughing their asses off at me. Reluctantly, I went back to sleep, hoping to have a normal dream this time.

Funny enough, I don't even remember what I dreamed after that. I do remember waking up exhausted. Apparently I lied there waiting to fall asleep longer than I thought. This morning was going to suck!

* * *

><p>"Yo, how's it been?"<p>

That day in class Kyon seemed to be in an alright mood. I wish you'd share some of that relief with me. Without going into detail I let Kyon know I was in no mood for anything frustrating today after that horrible sleep I had.

"I see," was all he could say.

Is that so, Kyon?

"Hey, Suzumiya."

What do you want now [Kyon].

"Looks good on you."

Kyon nodded up at the top of my head. There, resting slightly above my shoulders was a ponytail. Don't ask why I wore it like that, I just felt like a change. My hair's much too short for a ponytail now anyways, so I seriously considered letting it down once I reached class.

Glad you like it, Kyon.

"Idiot."

_**Author's Notes**_

I want to start off by apologizing to the few people who read the first two chapters when I uploaded them. Almost a whole year passed before I uploaded Chapter 3 of either The Melancholy, of the next story after this, which I also uploaded a year ago. I know it's not uncommon for stories to just wither away, especially fanfiction, but I personally have no excuse.

Why is this unacceptable? Because I wrote both of my first two stories for this project in their entirety before uploading the first chapters. So why did it take a year to upload six whole chapters I've had lying around from the very beginning? Well that answer is simple, because it made no sense.

My original plan was to upload stories and chapters out of order, because…hey, Suzumiya Haruhi series. Anachronistic and weird orders all abound, right? Unfortunately that plan quickly went downhill, and I was left with entire stories I couldn't upload because the ones I wanted to publish in between just weren't getting finished. Thankfully, exactly a year after I began writing these stories, I finally uploaded the full chapters in a nice and neat order. It's just better that way. There's no way I could've pulled off anything fancier I'm afraid.

As for The Melancholy itself, I had a lot of fun writing it (I think. A year is a long time…). I feel too many people exaggerate all of Haruhi's outward behavior and don't bother thinking just what kind of person would act the way she does, so it was very fun trying to write what I felt was her thought process throughout the original story. It makes perfect sense, it just got lost in the translation to Kyon-vision and sexy anime fanservice filler.

So we now have the full story at last. I have a good chunk of the next story to upload finished, but as y'all may have noticed, I tend to let time fly by without doing anything. Here's to me at least getting something done, and I hope people can finally enjoy the full story I should have uploaded ages back. Oh, and remember to love your lolis folks!


	7. Century Blues - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Have you ever wondered what kind of music people listened to 100 years ago? This seems like an odd question, but bear with me here. What I'm trying to ask is, if you were to go back in time and show the people there what kind of music the people of your own time listen to, how do you think they would react?

Now I'm no music expert. Come to think of it, I'm not really an expert at anything, unless you count daydreaming. If they ever had Daydream Olympics I'd take home the gold medal in every event. Never mind the fact that it would be very unusual for Japan to let the same young woman represent them in every event, this is just a make believe Olympics after all. Anyways, the point is, and I'm not entirely sure if this is exactly true, but aside from the discovery of electricity, I don't think instruments throughout mankind's history have changed much.

Sure, if you went back far enough with techno trance music you'd amaze anyone with your mere presence. What happens if you travel to the 21st Century though? Molecular soundwave manipulation had yet to be discovered, but most of the physical sounds used to produce modern music technically existed back then, the style just hasn't been invented.

Imagine, then, if you present an ordinary human this glimpse into the future. They'll more likely be impressed with the fact that you can produce music without a large album or disk, as well as the fact that this unusual time traveler is wasting their resources to show off their DJ skills when they could be preventing national disasters. The music itself would likely go unnoticed, in the same way you would react to hearing a new up and coming band from your own time.

I'm probably getting ahead of myself here though, or rather, maybe I'm lingering on this music thing far too long. Wait, I haven't even gotten to the story yet. Sorry about that!

My current setting is the early 21st Century. To everyone here I'm just your ordinary high school girl. Nobody would ever suspect that I had already studied temporal displacement and could probably amaze the most brilliant minds of today with my knowledge. It's just too bad I'm not exactly a grade A student and have spent the first month of school here struggling with math classes that are unfortunately just as boring and difficult here as they are in my time.

That's right, I'm from the future!

What time am I from? I can't say. How old am I really? That's classified. What's my weight and measurements? Well now these questions are getting way too personal.

As for what I'm doing here in this time plane, the answer is simple. I'm here to save the world!

Of course, by save the world I mean I'm here on lookout. My position in my work place is about as high as a reluctant intern. I never really expected to be sent anywhere outside my own time frame so soon, but I guess they needed some grunt work, so why not put the younger employees to good use, right?

As for what I'm supposed to look out for, let me just put it this way. Time is like a series of tubes, except they're not tubes at all. They're more like glass frames. Temporal planes are delicate matters and can easily be disrupted in ways far too dangerous for average humans to understand. When you take planar destruction and molecular travel between planes into account you might say we humans have messed up time beyond recognition.

Times have changed though, pun intended. Nowadays, time travelers exist mostly to keep timelines from collapsing and arranging for things to go the way they should. We're cleaning up our forefathers' mess, you might say.

I get a special mess to clean though. Right now I'm approximately three years away from what we call the Zero Point. The Zero Point is the point in time where time becomes zero. Rather, it is the furthest back humans are capable of travelling. A large time quake is believed to have occurred at the Zero Point, severing all prior moments in time from us future people.

You might be wondering just how badly we failed in order to cause something like that to happen, but research indicates the time quake originated solely in that temporal plane with no outside interference, meaning it was caused by someone in that "present" as opposed to one of us. Now keep in mind that Data as a Force had not even been discovered at this point. For someone of this time frame to create a quake large enough to sever the stream of time, it's about as unlikely as a hamster building fighter pilots and bombing Paris into oblivion. Don't ask why hamsters hate Paris though. I've yet to figure that out.

And that brings me here. You see, as miraculous as this time quake was, what's even more absurd is what caused it. That's right, we know exactly who's responsible. Believe it or not, the epicenter of the time quake was a young girl, barely in junior high school. Feel free to walk away if you think this is too absurd to follow along.

We're not sure how this girl accomplished such a feat, or even if she's aware of her involvement in this strange event. There are theories regarding how this disruption came about, but it's my job to keep an eye on things so we may receive more accurate information.

In case you haven't figured this out, three years after the time quake this young girl should be in high school. I'm one of the few time travelers able to pass as a high school student of this time, which is how I found myself at this very school.

I was at _her_ school.

Of course, my information was limited. I know nothing about her aside from her name: Suzumiya Haruhi. Somewhere in this school, this Suzumiya girl was doing things deemed impossible. It's my job to be observant and report anything suspicious, as well as performing any random chores my superiors want me to do while I'm here. It's better than getting them coffee at least.

I've already spent about a month at this school, and I must say, it's rather pleasant. I'm expected to be here for at least two whole years, so I was allowed, and even encouraged, to enjoy my time here. Kind of like a time vacation. A timecation!

If I find anything unusual, or if I'm given a specific order to carry out, then that shall become my first priority. However, I've yet to encounter anything besides friendly high school students and haven't heard from my superiors at all since I arrived here.

Assuming most months would be the same, I quickly found ways to entertain myself. They have lovely shopping malls in this town, which I'm free to enjoy as much as I want because I have the best job ever which provides money and housing for me in this temporal plane. As for the students, I've begun making friends of my own here, and even joined a club!

Taking full advantage of the culture of this time I decided to join the Calligraphy Club. That's what they'd call "old-school", right?

All in all, I was almost enjoying high school life in the 21st Century. It was still school, but I felt I was having plenty of fun.

So yeah, now comes the part where things start to go downhill. You probably saw this coming didn't you? I wish I did.

"Asahina Mikuru?"

The call came at the end of class one day. I was busy practicing for my Olympic debut when a feisty young first year girl made her way to my classroom. I had no idea what she wanted, and thanks to her outburst the whole room was staring at me. Hey, what did I do?

"I'm Asahina Mikuru. Can I help you with something?"

"Hey! You're coming with me!"

Wait what? I was just being polite. What's this about going somewhere? Without question I was soon abducted. Wait, if you're going to drag me off with you let me get my bag first. I don't want to walk back here, it's tedious!

"Slow down! What are you doing?!" I asked.

Some fine young gentlemen stood up to rescue me at this point. This school is so nice.

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of her!"

The strange girl winked at my brave knights, which was apparently all it took to get them to stop caring. Everyone stepped back and allowed me to be kidnapped. You guys are horrible at this!

Left to fend for myself I tried to resist being taken somewhere against my will, but this girl was surprisingly strong, as well as fast. I suddenly wish I ate more vegetables like my mother told me to.

This continued for much longer than it should have. Just what were this girl's bones made of? Her iron grip pulled me along to almost the opposite side of campus. I was pulling and tugging the entire time, but she didn't even budge.

"Stop squirming, we're almost there! Up these stairs."

Mystery women are not allowed to tell me when I can and can't squirm, young lady.

Our destination soon made itself clear. The nameless girl took me to a small room. Upon opening the door I saw it was mostly empty.

"Sorry I'm late! It took me some time to catch this gal!"

So the people in this room are in on it too! Just where did she take me? This appears to be a clubroom, with a big table and bookshelf being the most noticeable features. Besides me and my kidnapper there was a young boy here waiting for us. Is there such thing as a Junior Yakuza?

Why did I get brought here? Who are these people? She's locking the door! Why is she locking the door?!

"Be quiet."

I've never been told to shut up in such a calm manner. She even smiled. I think it's too late to butter me up with cute faces!

"Allow me to introduce Miss Asahina Mikuru."

Now I'm sure this all feels rather sudden, and that's because it was very sudden. I honestly don't think the situation had hit me at this point, and I don't see why it would. It felt like someone dragged me through the first thirty pages of a story in a matter of seconds and now I was mysteriously warped past the beginning exposition and into the clutches of the boy and girl who somehow managed to kidnap me past all the important parts.

"Where did you abduct her from?"

The boy finally spoke, asking such a direct question. So does that mean he's in charge? Did he ask this girl to bring me to him?

"I didn't abduct her, I just forced her to come with me!"

"That's the same thing!"

"I caught her daydreaming in class. I've explored every corner of this school so I've already seen her around school before."

"Hmm…"

What did I just witness? The way these two talked to each other implied this wasn't planned. The boy seemed to be against the girl's actions, but he's been ignoring me this whole time as well. If I didn't know any better I'd say he just likes arguing with the girl and doesn't actually care about my poor little victim self at all. What a strange couple.

"Anyway, she's our senpai."

"So?"

The girl gave the boy a horrible glare from beyond the grave. These two bicker as if they've been married 50 years. There's definitely some sort of history here I skipped out on.

"Fine, then tell me, why did you need to find this…Asahina-san, right?"

Don't tell me you're giving in! You haven't even talked to me yet. I think a little more effort to resist the attempted kidnapping under your nose would be appropriate.

"Just look! Isn't she cute?"

The girl pointed at me, bringing her finger dangerously close to poking my eye out. If she thinks I'm cute now I get the feeling my cuteness wont last long at this rate. Wait, that can't be the only reason she brought me here, can it? On top of this, once I looked over the boy he seemed to be scanning me and was in deep thought. Oh come on, either I'm cute or not. You don't have to think that hard about it do you?

"I believe moe characters are very important."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Moe!"

For the next few minutes the girl gave her strange boyfriend a lecture on what this moe thing was. Apparently it's the factor that arouses people? Hey! I know I'm petite and have nice hair and attract people with my nice personality and have large breasts and…actually that's probably what she was referring to. Where was I going with this again?

The girl would regularly grab me, stinging my shoulders with her evil criminal hands. What little welcoming nature that was present in this room was quickly diminishing as these odd people continued to go about as if I weren't even here. Meanwhile the boy just stared at me.

Hey there. Whatcha looking at? I don't think this is a good time to have a staring contest, but that's just me.

"And that's not all."

The girl walked behind me, which is why I assumed she was off to grab something to show us. In a way I guess she was right, though not in the way I expected.

To be frank, when I found myself in a room with a bizarre couple, if you told me one of them was about to grope my breasts I would have believed you. I just would have expected a different culprit. The girl reached around from behind me and went on to produce some unpleasant cupping.

That kind of touching is unwanted!

"She's so small but her breasts are bigger than mine! A cute face and big breasts are important in turning people on!"

Okay, I draw the line at turning people onto me when my breasts are involved. Actually, I draw the line at having my breasts touched at all. Unfortunately the girl just kept going. Groping me is one thing, but does she have to squish them and rub them in circles like that? This is very uncomfortable, especially with her mystery boy staring at us the whole time. Wait, why isn't he helping me!?

Now I'd like to take this time to remind everyone that I am an average human girl with average human needs. I would also like to remind everyone that at this moment I have yet to reach the point where these needs can be satisfied by mysterious girls touching me in places I'd prefer to be left untouched, nor do I have any desire of switching to that other kind of team any time soon.

In retrospect, I probably should have tried escaping at this moment, but it's hard to concentrate on what's going on when my own breasts are being tugged and squeezed from every direction. Like a deer in the headlights, my brain told my body to sit still in the hopes that I develop the ability to move through solid objects.

"Wow, they really are big! It's no fair, she's so cute but her breasts are bigger than mine!"

As her compliments bounced off me, the nameless girl seemed to just get more and more excited. Please, I never enjoyed having large breasts, so I'd prefer if our also unnamed companion would step in and help. Maybe grab the girl off me and ask her what the hell she's doing.

"What the hell are you doing!?"

Well that was easy. The next thing I knew I was free and left to wobble away from my molester.

"But they're really huge! Seriously! You wanna give it a try?"

He better not!

"I'll pass."

The odd couple continued to argue for a while, with me to the side tidying my clothes. When I looked up I saw the boy giving me another thorough look. What is it now?

"Mikuru-chan!" the girl interrupted (who said you could call me that?) "are you in any other clubs?"

I'll have you know I'm quite proud to be a part of the wonderful world of Calligraphy Club.

"Quit that. It'll get in the way of club activities."

Club activities? Don't tell me she expects me to join her in this…wait, this is a club? Well that explains why they're abducting people. I was wondering what they needed a moe character for, so I'm guessing they abducted me to join their own club.

It was at this point I noticed there was more than just the three of us. Off to the side was a third abductor I hadn't noticed before. It's no wonder why too. The entire time she was just sitting in her chair reading. When I first saw her I thought these strange people had a large doll in the room they used for reasons I don't want to think about.

There was something about her though. Looking at this girl I felt a sort of ticklish feeling in my head. It was almost as if….wait, no, it can't be!

Prior to my mission I was given special files and notes on certain people of interest. Like Suzumiya Haruhi, my information on these people was hardly sufficient for me to do anything. I actually forgot all about this information until I saw that girl.

The Integrated Data Sentient Entity. An alien Data cluster observing the time quake anomaly in the mission's temporal destination. Utilizes human interfaces to interact with the humans of that time.

I was previously given this little bit of information on this alien faction, as well as the other factions believed to be investigating the anomalies surrounding Suzumiya Haruhi. I was also informed of interfaces to watch out for, and to be honest, I forgot most of that already since the information on the IDSE I was given barely consisted of more than a single paragraph.

I do remember one thing of note though: Literature Club. One of the interfaces was disguised as a Literature Club member…or she destroyed the Literature Club…or maybe it was that she enjoys literature and I'm confusing her with an interface that infiltrated another club. I shouldn't have skimmed that section.

Still, this would explain a number of things. The tickle feeling would be the result of Data interference, such as that surrounding an alien interface. With this in mind, I was now certain that I was sensing something about this girl. Not only was she obviously into reading, since she hasn't let her attention drift from that book since I got here, but this room has a large bookshelf and belongs to a strange club wishing to recruit me.

If this isn't unusual activity I don't know what is. Should I do something about this? I was never told what to do if I ran into other factions. All I can think of doing now is to just lie low and investigate. I'll be on standby and if an emergency situation happens I should be able to contact my time.

I understand now. I'll quit the Calligraphy Club and focus on this club. It requires my full attention.

But…I don't even know what the Literature Club does…

"We're not the Literature Club."

You're not? Then does that mean I just agreed to join this club for no reason?

"Let me explain," the boy chimed in. "We're just temporarily borrowing this room for club activities. The club you just joined is a new group Suzumiya Haruhi plans to create in the future. Right now we don't know what those activities will be. We don't even have a name."

…What…?

"Oh, and the one sitting there is the real Literature Club member. Don't mind her."

That's not what I was referring to. If I heard correctly, this boy just said the name that was the cause of my mission. Suzumiya Haruhi. If the girl with the book isn't part of this club, then Suzumiya Haruhi would be…

I've been abducted by the girl I was supposed to be cautious of. The loud mouthed bossy girl standing beside me is the one and only Suzumiya Haruhi. By astonishing coincidence she managed to find me. And not only that, if my suspicions are correct, she's also stumbled upon an alien interface. Both of us sent here to observe Suzumiya Haruhi from a distance.

The odds of this happening require more than just luck. Just which god does this club pray to that they managed to accomplish such an astronomical feat?

But wait, is this good or bad? I was bound to run into Suzumiya-san eventually, but like everything else, I was given no instructions on how to behave. Should I keep my distance and avoid suspicion, or should I stay close by and be prepared for an emergency.

Unfortunately it seems I had inadvertently decided before I even knew of this dilemma. I did just agree to join this club. Looks like my new mission is to observe Suzumiya Haruhi from inside her very own club.

"That wont be a problem."

I don't care how much inappropriate touching I'd have to endure. The chances of something like this happening suggest I have no choice but to follow through. The future could very well be at stake and I need to be ready.

The strange boy seemed to be taking in my smile, relaxing now that he no longer needs to take charge. Suzumiya Haruhi then placed her stinging hands on my shoulder once more.

"This is perfect! And even better, I just thought of a name!"

This club really is in its early stages. This is probably the first official meeting seeing as these two people are probably together all the time anyways. With me here it made the club official. Looks like I came in with perfect timing. Let's see any other factions pull this off. Looks like I made it in before you did, book girl!

The SOS Brigade became the officially announced name of the club. I already forgot what it stood for, but I recall it was an extremely vague and unusual name, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Now all I have to do is figure out exactly what this club does…

* * *

><p>The rest of that afternoon was spent getting to know this new Suzumiya club I joined. Suzumiya-san herself left room for very few pauses, so I mostly just heard her shouting orders and acting excited over future club activities. If you're wondering what these club activities were, I have no idea. Something tells me my reconnaissance duties wont be easy.<p>

More importantly, it soon became apparent that the others aren't so bad. Suzumiya Haruhi seems to have abducted them into her own group of friends in the same way I was brought along. I still don't feel very comfortable around this group, but at least I now know they're not the Kidnapping Club.

Eventually Haruhi left us all excitedly, warning us all to come back here every day after school. Well there goes my last chance to back off from all this.

Someone didn't think it was too late though. After I decided to follow after Suzumiya-san and head home, I was approached by the mysterious SOS Brigade boy, who I now came to know as Kyon. I later found out Kyon was actually just his nickname. It took longer than I'm proud to admit before I realized what his real name was. Don't judge me.

"Asahina-senpai."

What is it now?

"You don't have to join this club if you don't want to. Don't worry about her. I'll think of a way to explain it to her."

Wow, did he really offer to bail me out? I don't have the luxury of accepting his offer, but he doesn't know that. As far as Kyon-kun knows, I'm just a poor girl who got roped into this against her will. Just a moment ago I was satisfied with simply knowing this boy wasn't going to molest me, and here he is showing off just how sweet he can be.

I really appreciate this gesture, but I have to turn it down. I'm a time traveler, and if my superiors don't think my job is important enough to give me instructions other than 'hang around and phone in emergencies' then I'll show everyone I can handle things just fine on my own.

"I want to join."

"But this club could be boring."

Trust me, Kyon-kun, my entertainment is the least of my concerns. Besides, you're here, aren't you? I definitely can't leave a nice guy like you behind after something like this.

Come to think of it, maybe this is how things are meant to go. I thought earlier about how unusual it was for Haruhi to find me by chance, but what if it wasn't chance. Nagato-san the alien and myself have been sought out by Suzumiya Haruhi. And there were other factions in this time plane. What if Kyon-kun belongs to one of those?

Maybe I was meant to join the SOS Brigade. Did my superiors know this, or have I stumbled upon an event predetermined by time by pure chance?

Does this mean Nagato-san is also meant to be here? I don't even know half of what I'm doing, but she's supposedly an interface being controlled by a highly advanced Data cluster. What if this Literature Club act goes deeper than I imagined?

Ironically, Kyon-kun's attempts to calm me down and make me worry less only served to make me think harder about what was happening around me. Why does what I'm doing suddenly sound a million times harder?

"What?"

What? Was I thinking out loud again? They told me my thematic conditioning would make it physically impossible to talk about classified information! I thought that would keep me from mumbling when thinking of this sort of thing.

"No, it's nothing," I said, and he dropped the matter.

It looks like I agreed to this without realizing what I was getting myself into, but it's too late to back out now. I'll do my best, and maybe get a nice boy to smile at me once in a while.

"I may be trouble, but please bear with me."

I gave Kyon-kun a nice bow and let him know I'm here to stay. He'll have to try harder than that to get rid of me.

"You really don't have to do that."

Too late, my decision is made. Oh, and for future reference, I don't think "Asahina-senpai" is very fitting after Kyon's witnessed my breasts get fondled by an obsessive time bomb girl. Looks like from now on I'm just plain Mikuru, of the SOS Brigade. I think I can pull it off.

I just hope some decent amount of time passes before I inevitably regret this decision.


	8. Century Blues - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Have you ever wondered what kind of music people listened to 100 years ago? I always figured a question like this would require serious research to truly understand the lives of our ancestors. In my time here in the 21st Century though, I began to notice a few things.

It's been a little over a month since I began school here in this temporal plane. I noticed that humans of the past aren't really different from myself or the life I had previously grown accustomed to. The technological differences were glaring, but the social aspects are surprisingly similar and easy to get accustomed to. Although, to be fair, I'd probably be saying otherwise if I had gone back to a time where I'd be chased down by angry villagers who think my magical music box is a demonic entity.

Maybe time travel isn't the best method of showing off your playlist. Remind me never to actually try that.

Of course, just as I was getting used to my quiet job, living peacefully among the people of old, none the wiser of my true origins, I found my true calling had found me, quite literally too.

I am a time traveler, and for the first time I was given a task that had to be accomplished by a temporal expert such as myself. Observing the girl who created a massive time quake seems like something I'm unqualified for, but my position as a high school student of this era allowed me to infiltrate Suzumiya Haruhi's very own club. This is a big deal!

Suzumiya-san was definitely a unique person, to say the least. Even if she weren't central to my mission, I don't think I could ever forget her in a million years. My first encounter with her was full of sexual advances and unnecessary pinching, but thankfully, she's not always like that.

Once her excitement over my joining had passed, it seems her attention was focused entirely on her club. The room that was mostly empty when I first joined began to fill up with more and more useful items in order to make club activities both comfortable and efficient.

Everything from cooking supplies, to shelves, to entertainment was handled with professional care. This Brigade felt more like an Organization than a mere high school club.

Of course, Suzumiya-san would still enjoy my body here and there, but her demeanor had become more playful and less prone to police investigations. There were even times where she managed to stay quiet, which is pretty much what everyone else was doing.

The mysterious Nagato-san remained in her chair every single moment we were in the clubroom. I wonder if she does anything when we're not around. After some in depth investigation I eventually confirmed that she is emitting a constant wave of Data. I presumed it was information for her IDSE superior, but maybe it had more personal information because one time she gave me a serious look when she caught me checking her out. Maybe she's secretly writing in her diary through an alien language.

Then there's Kyon-kun, who continued to be a gentleman and didn't cause much trouble. He didn't seem to mind being the only boy in the clubroom, although I noticed he seemed bored most of the time. At first I thought he secretly wanted to run off, but I soon sound my own face mimicking his pattern. This club was pretty boring.

Aside from the massive decorations, which consisted of little more than Suzumiya dropping off random items she sneaked into the school and placing them wherever they fit, not much has happened in this club.

"We can worry about club activities later. Right now we need to make sure this clubroom is prepared for when we actually have enough members to start our activities."

"What exactly are we supposed to be preparing for?"

"Kyon, try to think ahead! This is going to be our clubroom for the next three years. We need to make this place a suitable headquarters for such a long time! Oh, and Mikuru only gets two years cause she's a second year! Don't you want her time here to be as best as absolutely possible?"

Fights between Kyon and Suzumiya seem to be a regular thing. Actually, they're less like fights and more like grumpy kittens fighting over which ball of yarn they should play with next. Suzumiya-san would usually try to get us motivated with some vague or impossible task only to give a firm rebuttal and explain herself in detail whenever Kyon-kun questions it.

This always ended with Kyon-kun going quiet and letting Suzumiya-san continue her speeches, which I only hope were improvised. Maybe that's his intention and he just likes hearing her voice. The two seem like close friends with the way they bicker so casually. I'd have assumed they were boyfriend and girlfriend if it weren't for the "No way!" I received when I first asked. I learned quickly not to ask too many questions after that.

But then we have moments like right now. Little Miss Suzumiya was calmly sitting on her desk labeled "Brigade Chief" while looking out the window in deep thought. Why doesn't she just use a chair? Kyon-kun and I were quietly sitting at the table with nothing to do while Nagato-san continued doing what she does best.

"You know what we need? We so need a computer!"

Well at least the silence was being put to good use while Suzumiya-san thought of useful things we'd need. Despite taking several history classes, as are recommended for anyone wanting a career in time travel, I never was very fascinated with classic instruments. Seeing a 21st Century computer up close would be pretty neat though.

"That's why I'm gonna get us a computer right now!"

"From where? You're not going to rob an electronics store, are you?"

"Of course not, we're going somewhere closer."

Does that mean she'd rob a store if it were closer to the school?

Suzumiya-san grabbed a camera and asked us all to follow her. I know Nagato-san isn't an official member of this club, but it would be nice if she were dragged into this like the rest of us. Now I feel a little jealous of her getting the room all to herself.

Suzumiya-san continued her buddy routine with Kyon-kun as the two discussed something in low voices I couldn't make out. I hope we get a new member soon, then I'd have company whenever those two disappear into couples mode.

Just as their discussion was starting to get loud enough for me to hear them (whatever the plan is, it looks like they disagree, as usual), Kyon turns to me standing behind them and gives me a wink. Um…thanks? I get the feeling he's been waiting all day to make eye contact for that wink and didn't care if it made sense in context. Don't tell me I'll have to worry about a boy grabbing at me too now. This feels highly inappropriate, and a little embarrassing!

Ignoring the frisky teenagers, I noticed we were in front of the room labeled Computer Club. Once the others figured out the plan without me, Suzumiya-san simply barged in and Kyon-kun and I followed quietly while she announced our presence.

"Hello everyone! We're here to collect a computer!"

A young man in the back of the room stood up. Our two club leaders began negotiations while us mere subordinates looked on. I noticed the other Computer Club members seemed just as confused and unsure of what to do as I was, but Kyon-kun just stood next to me with a slight frown. That's not ominous at all.

"I'm the president of this club. Can I help you?"

"Didn't you hear me? I said give me a computer."

"What? No, that wont do. The school wont give us enough funding so we had to buy these computers with our hard earned money. We can't just give you one!"

"Why does it matter? We only need one."

"That's…just who are you guys anyways?"

"I'm Suzumiya Haruhi, Chief of the SOS Brigade. These are my Subordinates One and Two. Now I command you: hand over one of your computers. No excuses!"

These negotiations seem more like kidnapping ransoms if you asked me. Are we really going to just take a computer like that? These poor boys seem horrified at the idea of losing something they worked hard for. Kyon-kun, shouldn't we do something?

Kyon just gave out a big sigh. Something tells me he's used to these sort of things.

As the presidential debate went on, Suzumiya-san walked back towards us and pushed me ahead of her so I was now in between our two leaders. Um, am I supposed to do something? I couldn't hear the instructions from before with you two whispering like that. What if I screw something up!?

"Since you're going to be like that, we have our ways."

Suzumiya-san reached for the Computer Club president, who was staring at me wondering what kind of secret weapon I'm supposed to be. Trust me, if I had any secret weapons they'd probably be confiscated by now.

Unsure of what was going on, the Club President let his hand be grabbed effortlessly as our Brigade Chief guided them to their next destination. It was at this moment I learned about the secret weapons I wasn't aware of, but Suzumiya-san knew plenty about.

_Click_

"What!?"

Now by this point I have had my breasts touched and groped by an energetic teenage girl more times than the number I was most comfortable with: zero. Suzumiya-san is important to my mission though, and even though it makes me uncomfortable, having my private space invaded by a girl younger than myself was something I was willing to endure for the sake of protecting time and space.

This situation I was in now did not match that description. Although Suzumiya-san was definitely the culprit once more, the hands pressing into my breast was not the small hand of the energetic Chief I have come to know in recent times, but that of the strange boy I just met a few minutes ago.

Since I am a professional time traveler, I made certain to handle this situation in a mature and efficient manner.

"Kyaaa!"

This is gross! I don't want these boys touching me! This is not what I signed up for when I joined a club while having my breasts touched, which I admit, was probably not the smartest of actions I took in recent years.

"Kyon, another picture."

Suzumiya-san barked her orders at the one boy in this room I felt familiar with. I didn't notice earlier, but Kyon-kun was holding the camera brought out with us and was now taking pictures. No, I don't want a picture to remember this by! That's the opposite of what I want!

Just as Kyon-kun prepared the camera again Suzumiya-san pushed the Computer Club President into me. My biggest concern was shielding my breasts in the hopes that he wont end up jamming his face in there, but the real thing was much worse and the next thing I knew I was pushed onto the ground with this boy on top of me.

Someone get him off me! His hands are everywhere too. Hasn't he ever gotten up after falling down before? It's not hard. Just put your hands onto something firm and push yourself up. I am most certainly not firm!

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

The Club President managed to get up and focused his attention to the girl that caused this fiasco. Me? Honestly I don't think I even tried to get up for a while. I don't want boys touching me like this. Now I just want to cry.

"Ah ah ah. We now have photographic evidence of blatant sexual harassment. If you don't want these photos leaked all over the school then you'd better hand over that computer."

Oh, and now we're doing blackmail. That's exactly what I had on my to-do list for the day right after getting felt up by some strange high school boy. Just forget everything, Mikuru-chan. Lie down, stare at the ceiling, and think of England.

"What kind of joke is this? You grabbed my hand! I'm innocent!"

"Oh really? I wonder how many people are going to believe that."

I sat myself up, trying to tune out this discussion going on now that I've served my purpose. This really wasn't where I thought I'd be five years ago when I told my grandmother I wanted to grow up to be a successful businesswoman at the fancy time corporations.

It was bad enough going through that touching fiasco. In fact, I can still feel those boney fingers clinging to my flesh and shifting my shirt and bra around. No way I'm readjusting them now with all these eyes on me. At least I assumed they were. I didn't really feel like looking up at the boys who just watched that shameful moment.

"My members are witnesses. They know I didn't do anything!"

"Then I'll just say you all tried to gang rape her."

At that instance everyone's face turned white, including mine. Oh god, did it really have to come to this?

Think, dammit! If Suzumiya continues like this who knows what might happen next. My legs refused to stand up, but I still have hands! I'll have to get her to stop even if I have to drag myself over to her.

"Suzumiya-san…"

_Foop_

Ow! Did she just kick away from her legs? I think Suzumiya's the last person to get touchy about personal space! I wish I had a secret weapon right about now. One that could be used by me and not by breast obsessed young girls.

"Just pick one and get out!"

"Which one is the latest model."

Suzumiya-san continued the negotiations as if nothing had happened. If these Computer Club people seriously give in to her then I really have to question the chivalry of this time period. Why are high school boys always useless when I need help the most?

Over the next few minutes the negotiations were made. The SOS Brigade now had a brand new computer, which the Computer Club was kind enough to install themselves. Not one person offered to help me up. Thanks guys!

Once the room had cleared out I just sat myself in the corner. Just what was I doing? This mission was supposed to be about observing the effects of the Zero Point and to be on the lookout for any unusual temporal or Data-based activity from Suzumiya Haruhi or her surroundings. Instead I probably ended up in the most humiliating mission in the history of time travel.

I'm not even that embarrassed about these things. I had health class in school too you know. What Suzumiya Haruhi does to other girls' bodies is up to her, but why do I have to get involved in all this? I just wanted to spy on her. When did I become her own personal toy?

"Asahina-san. Come on, let's go."

Kyon-kun tried his best to get me back up. Having him look at me with extreme pity reminded me of before. He gave me a chance to back out. I could have avoided this but instead I chose to say. What did I even say? Kyon-kun's staying, so I can too. I figured back then that he'd be as inconvenienced as I was, but on the contrary, he seems to enjoy Suzumiya-san's company and has yet to have his body used in any way.

That wasn't all I decided on though. I knew what I was getting into. This is an important mission, not just for me, but for everyone. I was in charge of uncovering information on the biggest scientific mystery ever faced by man. It's no coincidence I was sought out to join the SOS Brigade. It was predetermined from the beginning that I, Nagato-san, and even Kyon-kun, would all be brought together by Suzumiya Haruhi.

This was my job. I can't back out now, especially after Kyon-kun was nice enough to offer me a chance to do so. Sad as it is to say, the boy who just took photographs of me getting molested was my best friend in all this. I'll have to do my best and trust that everything will work out in the end.

I got up after Kyon offered his hand. Being picked up was a surprising pick-me-up. When Kyon let go of my hand I felt like I could trust him. Things will only get better, and I'm sure he'll definitely stop Suzumiya-san if she ever gets carried away.

Alright, then it's decided I'll stay. Although I guess I've already decided on that about three times now, but this time I mean it. If Suzumiya-san ever wants to use Kyon-kun's body for fun though, I'll be sure to let her enjoy his manly features to her heart's content. It's only fair, right Kyon?

I'm only kidding.

* * *

><p>"So, do you bring lunch from home or buy your own lunch."<p>

The next day I was surprised to discover Suzumiya-san looking for me in the halls. It was frightening enough seeing her before the end of school, but when she invited me to eat lunch with her I didn't know what to expect.

I had a nice lunch packed away in class, but I wasn't comfortable eating in the cafeteria, so I instead opted for a simple cup of machine brewed iced tea. The sooner I finish lunch here the better.

Fortunately, Suzumiya-san ate rather quickly. Is she afraid someone might steal it? I was a little hungry with just my drink, but I'm definitely capable of waiting until I get home without stealing other people's food (I grabbed a few bites before heading to the club later on though, not that it matters).

"So, Mikuru-chan, yesterday's mission was a success, don't you think? You played the part perfectly!"

The only part I "played" was the part where I resisted the urge to push you onto the Computer Club members and see how you'd like it. Then again, I can't really trust how Suzumiya-san would act in such a situation…

"Anyways, hope that pervert didn't hurt you or anything. I wanted to ask if you were okay, but those Computer losers took forever getting things working. You're okay right?"

I opened to answer just before I was interrupted.

"Of course you are! You're a member of the SOS Brigade after all! Don't worry though. Our next event should be less stressful. I've got plans for our future and you wont have to do any dirty work like that anytime soon. I'll find you something more productive to do, promise!"

Being winked at by Suzumiya-san proved to be more nerve wracking than having Kyon-kun do the very same. I would have taken comfort in her words, but I wasn't quite sure what falls under "dirty work" and what falls under "productive". She neglected to mention what these future plans were.

"This was fun, but don't get too relaxed. We still have a lot of work to do! Kyon's working on the website right now. Come to think of it, I should probably check up on him. Lunch time's almost over anyways. It's been nice talking with you Mikuru-chan! We should spend more alone time together, right? Maybe have some fun in private!"

Note to self: Do not spend time alone with Suzumiya-san.

"Be sure to show up for club activities today! I've got something special planned. If you're late for one second I'll have to punish you. Better show up if you don't want a spanking, Mikuru-chan!"

Suzumiya-san ran off to her classroom with a speed that would make Olympic Daydreamers have a run for their money. I was left where I was seated, hoping nobody overheard her spanking comment. I admit, it was nice to see Suzumiya acting more calm, and she at least tried to ask how I was doing and assured me things would get better.

It seemed like she meant no harm, she just didn't think things through. Maybe she really doesn't think any of the things that happened to me are a big deal. I can't exactly be mad at her. I just have to make myself clearer from now on.

"Hey! Mikuru!"

Before I could escape to someplace quiet I was quickly forced back into everyday high school life. Normally I spent my lunch period eating in the classroom with fellow classmates. Among them included a close friend, [Tsuruya].

Tsuruya-san could be described as the girl Suzumiya-san could be if she understood how normal people act. While Tsuruya-san herself has acted with the same energetic and playful behavior Miss Suzumiya was known for, my close friend never went to far as to turn my breasts into her personal playthings. At best I'd get a comment on my "gorgeous you-know-whats" compared to her more waifish figure.

"Whatcha doing here in the cafeteria? I heard you got abducted again! Was it fun?"

Tsuruya-san tilted her head sideways to peak over my shoulder and into my empty tea cup. Her long hair slid down to the table as she gave me her patented smile. I always thought I was lucky to have someone like her as a friend, but after my run in with Suzumiya-san I'm beginning to wonder if I just naturally draw in a certain crowd.

"I can't believe you actually joined that club. Everyone at school's talking about that Suzumiya girl. I've seen her do some weird stuff myself. You better be careful Mikuru. Although it looks like I shouldn't worry if this Kyon boy's as nice as you say he is. I bet you enjoy having such a lovely young man protecting you, huh?"

It's not like that at all. I'd prefer not to have anything that requires protection in the first place. Kyon-kun would be loads more fun to be around if we could just have some real fun together. Wait, that came out wrong.

"You really do draw in the funniest kinds of people Mikuru-chan!"

Does that include you? Tsuruya-san and I laughed our way to our next class together, although the laughter was mostly from her. Right now I was out of the Suzumiya Zone and returning to my semi-normal life as an ordinary high school girl.

I just hope this special surprise Suzumiya-san has in mind is something I can manage.

* * *

><p>That afternoon I was the first to arrive in the clubroom. Actually, Nagato-san was there before me, but I swear she spends all her time here anyways.<p>

With all this Suzumiya mess going on I never considered speaking with Nagato-san. I've observed her quietly and now know she's very likely to be an interface of the Sentient Entity, but what exactly do I say to her? Do I bring up the time quake and collaborate or leave her to her own business? How about small talk? She'd probably be more interested in her book than anything I'd have to say.

It wasn't long before Kyon-kun arrived anyways. I'm used to him and Suzumiya-san being together, so it felt odd for him to arrive alone.

"Where's Suzumiya-san?" I asked.

"God knows. She's been gone since sixth period. Probably off nicking equipment somewhere."

Equipment? Please don't tell me I'll have to do what I did yesterday after all…

"Don't worry, if she tries to do anything strange I'll stop her."

Kyon? This motivation would have been handy earlier, but it's nice to hear him say it out loud.

"She'll just have to use her own body for blackmail from now on. It's not like I can't beat her when it comes to scuffles."

Has Kyon always looked this bright and handsome? After his actions yesterday I thought I could only count on him in extreme situations, but now I feel like I can trust him with anything. In that case…I'm counting on you Kyon-kun.

"Hiya! Sorry I'm late!"

Suzumiya herself walked into the room, carrying multiple bags with her. What did she get this time? I was about to ask what's in them when the sound of the door locking brought my attention to the greater concern of the fact that Suzumiya herself walked into the room.

"Suzumiya." Kyon bravely made his new stance clear for the whole club to hear. "What are you planning today? I'll be frank, I'm not doing any blackmailing or plundering again."

"What are you talking about? I'd never do anything like that."

Kyon's evolution from high school boy to white knight proved to be no use against Suzumiya-san's logic. It's not very effective.

"I made these flyers to introduce everyone to the SOS Brigade!"

Sure enough, Suzumiya pulled out a pack of flyers from one of the bags. If all I have to worry about today is paper then I think it was wrong of me to assume Suzumiya-san would go back on her word to not make me do any more stressful work.

_The SOS Brigade's founding principle:_

The first line on the flyers was hand written and appeared to be followed by a very odd description.

_We the SOS Brigade are seeking out all sorts of paranormal events. We welcome anyone who has experiences, is experiencing, or senses they will soon experience any kind of supernatural or mysterious events to come to us for consultation. We will do our best to answer your questions._

So this club is meant to be a set of paranormal consultants? I thought it was something about making life more fun. Wasn't that what Suzumiya-san was always talking about? Where did this paranormal thing come from? I don't really want to go ghost hunting or anything.

"You don't have to go Kyon. Just me and Mikuru-chan will do."

What? Did I miss out on another conversation again? The last time that happened things did not end well for me.

Kyon put down the bag he picked up and sat down. It seems only Suzumiya and myself will be handing out flyers. As I prepare to get going I saw Suzumiya-can reaching for the other bag. I completely forgot about that. What's in it?

"Ta-da!"

In her hands was a piece of fabric. A costume. As it unfolded, it was evident that Suzumiya-san was holding out a black leotard, complete with net stockings, a bow tie, white cuffs, and bunny ears, all on one convenient coat hanger.

Suzumiya-san is into bunny girl costumes. I can't say I'm surprised by such a reveal. What could she possibly need that for?

"To dress up as a bunny girl of course!"

As long as I don't have to get touched and ogled, Suzumiya can wear whatever she likes.

…

Wait, why is she looking at me like that? This costume is for her right? She doesn't honestly expect me to wear it does she?

"Of course! I even prepared one for you!"

Reaching into the bag, the frisky looking girl pulled out a second red set. She wants us both to wear them!?

"I'm not wearing that!"

"Don't worry, the size will fit you perfectly."

That is not what I was concerned about. Wait, how does she know my size anyways? That's irrelevant. I don't want to wear that!

"Oh, stop complaining."

Before I knew it I felt a familiar feeling. The bizarre girl known as Suzumiya Haruhi was once again wrapped around me feeling around the front of my body. Unlike before though, she was focused entirely on my uniform.

Oh god, is she undressing me!?

"NO! Stop it!"

"Now be a good girl and don't move!"

Of course, I understand Suzumiya technically kept her promise. Wearing a revealing costume is less dirty work than being molested on film, but this is nowhere near as far away from yesterday's activities as I had hoped.

I tried to pull away, but this girl was really strong! I struggled to avoid her movements but there was no stopping her wrath. My clothes would soon be reduced to nothing and all I could do was wiggle around helplessly.

Wait, Kyon-kun! You said you wouldn't let Suzumiya-san do anything like this! Help me! Wait, what's he looking at?

Suzumiya had already fumbled with my clothes in order to reveal my underwear and cleavage to the teenage boy watching me get undressed. Why did I choose to wear a fluffy pink star pattern bra today? Why?

Abort the mission Kyon! Get out! Don't look at me!

Just as Kyon-kun began to run out the door I was temporarily freed. Perfect! Unfortunately I turned to see Suzumiya-san was removing her own clothes as well. She really expects us to wear those things doesn't she?

"Don't just stand there, take that off!"

Suzumiya would only let go of me just long enough to remove an article of her own clothing, which she did very quickly, as she does with most everything. The worst part was that even when I had given in and begun undressing myself, it was deemed too slow for her liking and I was nevertheless subjected to more grabby paws.

Even more unpleasant was the fact that Haruhi had already undressed completely long before me, so I not only had to deal with her hands, but also her own body pressed up against me every time she struggled to get my own clothes off faster.

Just to remind everyone, I received no satisfying feeling from neither Suzumiya touching me, nor her naked breasts rubbing against my back. I will also choose not to disclose any information on what contact was experienced between Suzumiya-san's fingers and my nipples, which are nobody else's business.

Eventually I was squeezed into the tight bunny girl costume. Not only did it expose skin I was not comfortable exposing, it was not the perfect fit I was promised. It didn't just squeeze my belly, but also my breasts felt constricted and pushed upward, somehow exposing even more cleavage than I'm used to.

You know, before last week I never gave my own breasts much thought. Why are they suddenly getting more attention than a pop idol? I have other features you know. Do you like feet Suzumiya? I did my toes yesterday!

Suzumiya-san was obviously excited. Her eyes widened and her smile grew wider once she saw me completely nude, which is a side of her I wish to permanently erase from my brain's memory files. The bunny girl dressed in black wasted no time letting Kyon inside to feast his eyes on our new costumes.

Once inside Kyon-kun and Suzumiya began their usual back and forth nature. Kyon had asked why Nagato-san wasn't wearing a costume, which was an answer I too would like to hear. She didn't even look up from her book! I'm guessing she wont be much help in an emergency.

"I only bought two costumes. The deluxe set is very expensive."

Great, now I have to be extra careful now that I know this is an expensive costume. I can only imagine what trouble I'd get into if I ruin it. They're actually very well made costumes, so at least Suzumiya should get her money's worth.

While Kyon and Suzumiya talked I slowly sat myself down. The bunny tail on my backside wobbled as I sat down, creating yet another uncomfortable sensation, this time focused on my bottom. I planted myself on the chair, only for me to immediately get called back to attention.

"Let's go Mikuru-chan!"

But I just sat down. Our clothes are still on the floor even. I don't want my stuff making a mess. Do we have to do this? People are going to stare at us!

Too weak to resist, and also too afraid to break these heels which I now know cost a fortune, I quietly shuffled behind Suzumiya-san. When we passed by Kyon I reached out my hand. Please save me.

"Sorry, no can do" is what he'd probably say. Even Kyon-kun can't stop Suzumiya's ambitions.

Luckily we only had to pass out flyers for a little bit before teachers came to the front gate where Suzumiya-san had taken us. At least, that's what I'm told is what happened. To be honest I was much too embarrassed being seen in a bunny girl outfit in front of the entire school. Not a single boy noticed my water filled eyes up by my face.

I take back what I said about this not being as bad as yesterday. At least nobody outside the Brigade and Computer Club knew about that, and I'm sure those club members would be too embarrassed to come near me again, but this is different. I was seen by everyone! And I'm sure to hear more about his tomorrow.

Once the teachers showed up I tried my best to just hide in the corner and cover myself, which was harder to do once my flyers were confiscated. I need those!

Suzumiya-san ignored the teachers completely and even tried to pass out flyers to the students awkwardly watching the conflict. Eventually she had to be dragged away, as well as myself. Oddly enough though, I was let go after Suzumiya had a talk with one of the teachers.

And that was it. There was nothing else worth mentioning. I went back to the clubroom and rested my head on the table. Now let us never speak of this day again.

"Damn those teachers! Always getting in my way!"

Oh, and Suzumiya returned at some point after that. Come to think of it I didn't pay any attention to Kyon when I sat down. Sorry for not explaining Kyon-kun.

"This pisses me off! That's it for today. Dismissed!"

I heard a door slam followed by the sounds of clothes shuffling. Oh right, I'm still in my bunny girl costume. And also wearing a coat. I don't remember that getting there. Isn't this Kyon's?

"How long are you going to cry like that? Hurry up and change?"

As soon as I brought myself out of my depression I found myself experiencing Suzumiya's wonderful touch again. Please, no more.

At the very least the bunny girl outfit was much easier to remove than my school uniform, which was neatly folded and resting on a spare chair off to the side. How long was I out again?

Even better was that Suzumiya was in a much worse mood than before. Actually, that wasn't good for her at all and I kind of hope she feels better by the end of the day, but it also meant she was less aggressive and allowed me to dress myself a little more often than before. She also waited until I was completely dressed before putting on more than her underwear. Why does she have to make things as embarrassing as possible?

Once that ordeal was over with I just wanted to go home. Suzumiya sat at her chair and seemed to be in heavy thought looking out the window again. Taking the time to neatly fold Kyon-kun's jacket I quietly opened the door and held it out to the boy waiting patiently outside.

He didn't help me. He said he'd protect me, but he didn't. And what could he have done? He's just an ordinary boy. He doesn't stand a chance against someone as stubborn as Suzumiya. I'm the time traveler though. I should be better prepared for these situations. There must be something I can do right?

Either way, I didn't blame Kyon for not helping me. He tried his best, and I was the one who yelled at him after all. He accepted his coat and just watched me quietly.

"If something bad ever happens to me Kyon, will you marry me?"

Kyon's silence just made my comment all the more difficult to process. At this rate it'll be a miracle if I can survive a second month in this school. Suzumiya-san will be the death of me, and I get the feeling Kyon-kun wont be of much help preventing that disaster from happening.

In the end, I could only blame myself for letting this happen. I'm the one who got bright ideas about saving the world. All I had to do was watch Suzumiya. Nobody ever told me to go blindly into her lair. I really should have thought this through better.

I'm not fit for this kind of work. I'm a horrible time traveler. And I'll never look at PE class the same way again. Why did I join this Brigade?


	9. Century Blues - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Due to the infamous bunny girl incident, I would later find out, the name Asahina Mikuru had become as oft spoken as that of Suzumiya Haruhi. Word quickly spread of the two scantily clad high school girls creating a commotion at the front gate after school, dressed in provocative fetish costumes.

Suzumiya Haruhi was no longer just a strange girl people occasionally brought up. It became clear that her influence was spreading into a small club, and of the three members she's roped in, it seems I was the only one universally recognized. There was some talk of Suzumiya's boyfriend tagging along, as well as the quiet book girl who let them use her clubroom, but as soon as you mention the second year girl who got dragged out in a bunny girl costume no one was forgetting any names.

Of course, this is only how I assume the rumours spread. To be honest, it all came as a complete shock to me when I returned to school and found that people had already talked all about me and the mysterious escapades of this SOS Brigade, for which flyers were still being passed around. Although nobody had the courage to approach the Literature Club room, it was clear that Suzumiya-san was a marketing genius.

The reason all this came as a surprise though is because it was actually two days after the incident that made me uncertain of whether or not I could continue. Shameful as it was, I skipped school, all because another girl saw me naked. I only wish it were that simple though.

Not that I'm proud of it, but on my day off I took my time to enjoy myself in a way I haven't in several days. That is to say, I spent all day at home eating comfort food and watching television. I even considered going out on a shopping spree, but the chances of running into someone I knew, even in a foreign temporal plane, was too much for me. Nevertheless, I had plenty of fun on my own.

The downside though, is that part of me felt certain that I never wanted to go back. I've received more than enough of an education in my own time, and the only thing waiting for me at North High now was more humiliation. I admit, it was a weak moment, but for the entire morning all I could think about was how wonderful it was to simply sit around and do nothing for once. I wondered why it couldn't always be that way.

My main argument for myself was that I received no orders to join Suzumiya's club, let alone continue serving as a member. I chose to follow this route on my own, so I should be free to drop it if I want after all. I remember making myself a feast of sandwiches and eyed the ice cream in my freezer, thinking that at last I was free of the curse of the mummy Suzumiya.

Of course, I knew all along that was just wishful thinking. I'm a time traveler, and I have a duty. On top of that, people would get suspicious if I simply disappeared, and I have to return to school eventually if I plan on continuing the one official task I was giving. I don't have to be in Suzumiya-san's club, but I still have to keep an eye out for strange activity, especially from her.

Besides, what would Kyon-kun think of me if I just quit like that? It would be rude of me to make him miss the only normal company he had after he's treated me so nicely.

And that's how I found myself at school once more, making the discovery that it was far too late to back out now. My name and Suzumiya Haruhi's were now forever intertwined, and this SOS Brigade was not going away.

"Mikuru, I can't believe you'd do something so wild! I sure wish I could have seen you. What did you wear? Was it really as sexy as people say it was?"

Tsuruya-san was laughing while she patted my back, simultaneously fueling and trying to comfort away my embarrassment. I expect her to find these sorts of things humourous. As far as she's concerned I merely put on a costume and paraded around the school grounds with my new club mates.

"What's this SOS Brigade about?"

"So that first year girl was the Suzumiya-san I've heard about, eh?"

"You should be careful, Asahina-san. Those strange club activities might get you suspended."

Around my desk was a group of female classmates asking me questions before class started. I've been approached by a few boys, but the looks I got from them upon discovering I was possibly into erotic cosplay was enough for Tsuruya-san to step in and chase them off.

To be fair, the awkward glances from the boys were less stressful than the questions my friends and classmates posed. Tsuruya, why couldn't you chase them away too?

"They've got a good point Mikuru. We don't want you getting in any mischief, do we? Just be sure to invite me next time you do something fun and crazy around school like that, alright? I'll be sure to keep you in line!"

Almost as if magically summoned, our teacher came in to begin class the moment Tsuruya-san sealed her closing statement with a playful smile and wink. As great as it would be to have Tsuruya protecting me in the clubroom, I had a strong suspicion my close friend would only be fueled by Suzumiya's enthusiasm and further enforce that kind of behavior. It looks like there really is no way out.

* * *

><p>In the clubroom I was relieved to see Kyon again, and this time he had a wonderful surprise for me. It was probably more for himself, but that didn't stop me from appreciating something like this.<p>

"I brought a board game so we could pass the time. You wanna play?"

Yes Kyon. I would love to play your generic, completely normal game. There's no stripping in Othello as far as I can tell. Not only was I excited to be doing a normal activity for once, I had hope that Kyon's board game antics might possibly influence further club activities. Maybe seeing us have fun, Suzumiya-san would anxiously ask to play and focus her energy on conquering Kyon's black pieces.

Speaking of Suzumiya-san, it seems she's going to be late today. As Kyon put it, there's a transfer student starting at this school today. I have no idea why that's important, but I'm sure Kyon and Suzumiya have their reasons for seeking this new student out.

"Hey Asahina-san. I never thought you'd show up today!"

Right, I kind of left Kyon alone with Suzumiya before (unless Nagato-san miraculously became the social type while I was gone). I'm sure he's more accustomed to Suzumiya than any of us, but it must still be rough to handle her alone. I wonder what these two do when it's just them.

Well, as I knew all too well, I considered staying at my home here for some time, but in the end it was too concerning to leave these matters unattended. Despite all I've endured, I still haven't collected any usable information regarding the mysterious time quake at the Zero Point.

"What's there to be concerned about?"

Good gravy, did I say that out loud again? I really should watch what I say. Apparently my conditioning wouldn't protect me from the overly observant and questioning Kyon.

"It's nothing," I said.

Luckily Kyon didn't continue his interrogation. He really is much too considerate. He's like the complete opposite of Suzumiya-san in that regard.

"Nagato-san, you wanna play?"

Over Kyon's shoulder the quiet Miss Nagato surprised us both by coming to our side of the room for the first time. So she likes books and board games. I guess alien clusters are into that sort of thing.

Nagato played with the Othello pieces for a while before figuring out how they worked. If anything, she seemed a bit surprised and amazed that such things could exist. I guess a Data based being would have trouble understanding physical properties like magnetism. Makes me wonder what she was like the first time she walked.

In fact, I noticed she was a pit clumsy moving the pieces around. According to my information, human interfaces for the IDSE were created during the Zero Point three years before now. Or was it that the interfaces existed already and they merely were instructed to observe Suzumiya after the Zero Point. In that case, wouldn't Nagato-san's lack of dexterity be more alarming?

She spends all her time reading, not budging or moving one bit, and every time she'd finish a page she'd effortlessly slide a page over without a noise. Aside from walking and moving her hands, I don't think I ever saw her do any physical movement.

In a way, it was kind of eerie watching her struggle to control her delicate human fingers. It only served as a reminder of what I discovered, that this girl wasn't human. Who knows how long she's been on this planet, and yet she still had trouble doing the most basic of physical tasks. In a way I felt almost sorry for her.

Then again, she's posing as a student like me, so she must surely be doing classwork. After a month of writing with a pen or pencil she must be getting the hang of this sort of thing by now right? Maybe she's just naturally clumsy?

Despite her minor handicap though, Nagato-san managed to beat me in the end. I admit, I was a bit nervous the further she and I played, although I get the feeling she'd have won even if I had nerves of steel.

Just as we were setting the board up for another game, our Brigade Chief returned with our newest victim.

"Hiya! Kept ya waiting? I got us today's new transfer student from 1-9. Introducing…"

At Suzumiya's side was a skinny, well groomed boy, standing tall and at ease with a bright smile. He shut his handsome eyes and grinned gently as he waved at the room to finish Suzumiya's introduction.

"Koizumi Itsuki. Pleased to meat you."

His voice gave off the impression he's the kind of sweet boy who was the focus of many crushes from the girls at his previous school. It's a shame that his handsome face and polite demeanor will mean nothing now that Suzumiya's brought him into the forbidden zone. At best, he'll get to be the SOS Brigade's new model.

"This is the SOS Brigade clubroom. I'm the commander in chief, Suzumiya Haruhi, and these are Subordinates One, Two, and Three. Be sure to get along everybody."

What kind of introduction is that? This Koizumi boy probably has no idea what's going on yet.

"I don't mind joining. So what kind of club is this anyways?"

I'm glad he asked because I was too embarrassed to ask myself after being here for so long.

"Let me tell you. What the SOS Brigade is about, that is, to find aliens, time travelers, and espers, and become friends with them!"

…

I'd say something about time standing still if it weren't for the immediate irony.

Obviously, my hearing was a bit off. The odds of both me and Nagato-san to be discovered by complete chance by the very person we were observing is an already astronomically unfeasible event, but I now discovered that this was Suzumiya's goal to begin with.

She wanted aliens and just happened to stumble upon Nagato. She wanted time travelers and by complete luck she recruited me out of a sea of hundreds of students. And what's this about espers? Is this new boy secretly an esper? Or is Kyon the esper and Koizumi-kun is secretly a ghost?

There's no way this can be a coincidence. In every timeline there exist predetermined events in time that cannot be manipulated according to Linear Time Theory. Whatever doubts I had left were now long gone. I never had a choice in the matter. It was determined from the very beginning that I would join this Brigade as its resident time traveler.

"As expected from Suzumiya-san."

The above quote was made more jarring by the fact that it was spoken out loud by newcomer Koizumi Itsuki.

"No problem then. I look forward to working with you. I'm Koizumi. Since I just transferred I still have a lot to learn. It's nice to meet you."

Unsatisfied by the nameless introductions our leader handed out, Koizumi now began introducing himself to us one by one, starting with the only other male in the room.

"He's Kyon!"

Suzumiya seemed excited to show off her metaphorical husband as the two boys shook hands. She then went on to properly introduce her two unwilling wives.

"The cute one there is Mikuru-chan, and the glasses girl is Yuki-san."

"Pleasure to meet you all."

When I got up to greet our new, still unaware member, my legs turned to mush. Most girls in my situation would say the handsome aroma emanating from the dream boy in front of me made them weak in the knees, but there's no way I'd have the pleasure of such a normal sounding excuse.

Standing before Koizumi and watching his perfect locks part way for his ridiculously shiny eyes, I felt a familiar tingle. Something about this boy's existence involved something no ordinary human should have. There was Data interference.

It was faint, and even if I did a better job remembering what I learned in my last Data Constructions course it would be difficult to determine what Koizumi was doing, or saying, with this unusual interference. It definitely wasn't the elaborate code coming from Nagato-san, that's for sure. I think we just found our esper.

Shortly after everyone got acquainted, Suzumiya offered to give Koizumi-kun a tour of the school. Once Nagato-san returned to her reading spot it was just me and Kyon again. I could have stayed some more, but we already played multiple games of Othello, and I felt like I had more important things to do.

After excusing myself, I left Kyon alone with the club alien and went down the stairs, completely unsure of what exactly I should do next.

There was no mistaking what I felt. Koizumi had a faint hint of Data code surrounding him. It was weaker than even my own Data technology, so I'm only guessing he's still human. A human with limited Data-based powers? To someone of this temporal plane, that would be classified as supernatural powers, meeting the criteria for the esper Suzumiya was looking for.

I don't recall reading notes about a faction of espers, but my information was so vague and simplistic it's hard to tell. All I knew about Nagato's faction was that there's an alien cluster and there may be a few interfaces at the school, including one in the Literature Club.

Koizumi-kun belonged to some sort of faction most likely. He matches the conditions being sought after by Suzumiya, just like me and Nagato-san. It was predetermined that the three of us be gathered together, just like all three of us were sent here to observe the mysterious girl responsible for the inhuman feats I came to research.

Whoever Koizumi was, all I could do was trust that he's only here to observe, like myself and Nagato. I didn't know either of the two well enough to determine how much I could rely on them to stand back like myself, but what else could I do?

And then there's Kyon. Suzumiya only mentioned three groups that just happened to be brought into this scenario, but there were four of us. By the time I joined, Kyon and Nagato were already in the club, but I recall that Suzumiya and Kyon-kun are in the same classroom together. It seems they both started this club together.

So wouldn't that make Kyon a collaborator of Suzumiya's? Together the two of them brought three completely unrelated factions together. Maybe the reason I haven't found any information regarding the time quake is because Suzumiya-san isn't special, at least not by herself.

[Kyon] and Suzumiya Haruhi, two ordinary high school students who managed to pull off the impossible together three years after a mysterious time quake. Maybe the true reasoning behind the Zero Point is the connection between those two.

It seemed hard to believe, but right now it's my first lead. I'll have to look into it.

* * *

><p>The next day at school managed to shoot me back to square one.<p>

_Click_

I should be grateful that this time my embarrassment is limited to our clubroom. Currently, the only witnesses to my new state are the usual Kyon and Suzumiya-san. I guess Nagato-san was paying attention too, but her attention was focused on her reading as usual.

_Click_

Why does that shutter have to click so much? On this day I didn't have strange boys touching me or even ogling me from afar. Today all I had to do was make poses. I'm definitely not a fan of Suzumiya's camera after the Computer Club incident, but at least we have some privacy this time. As you might expect, it required me to get forcefully undressed while Suzumiya let her fingers grab whatever they could. It started off rather tame, like a simple model shoot, but soon the anomaly that is Suzumiya couldn't keep still any longer.

"The glasses would look better tilted. Yes, that's better! Kyon, remember to take plenty of pictures!"

While Suzumiya unbuttoned my clothes further and shifted the glasses she borrowed from Nagato-san on my face, Kyon was off to the side taking pictures. I know he's a teenage boy and can't exactly control these things, but I really hope he's not enjoying this.

On top of this embarrassment, just a few minutes ago Kyon had walked in on me getting undressed by Suzumiya. It was just like the bunny girl day, right down to the moments leading up to it.

"Take off your clothes," was the only warning I had then. Suzumiya came to the clubroom with another bag, and another costume for me to wear. I was fortunate that this new costume wasn't as revealing or tight fitting as that of a bunny girl. Miss Suzumiya bought me an elegant maid uniform.

Now I only wish she'd told me that before stripping me in front of Kyon again. And that brings us back to my photo shoot.

"Mikuru-chan, from now on you have to wear this costume every time you come in for club activities!"

Did I hear that right? I now have a guarantee that I'll have to go through this every single day. Gone are the hopes that I might have a day like yesterday, calmly playing games with Kyon and Nagato-san, both of which have shown no effort to stop this photo shoot. A little resistance would be appreciated at the very least.

"Man, who said you could be so cute? I'm a girl and even I can't keep my hands off you!"

You're just now noticing that?

By the end of the shooting my new uniform had been hastily put on only for Haruhi to begin stripping me down again for the camera. Kyon and his eye piece got a nice gimpse of my cleavage again, which wobbled out uncontrollably over this flimsy apron. This uniform does not seem fit for proper maiding. I get the feeling this isn't a real uniform at all!

Suzumiya had continued to push the bar further every time she got a handful of Asahina goodness, as was painfully clear every time I felt her hips thrust against me. Please tell me she's not doing what I think she's doing…

"Alright, I think we got enough. You can stop now."

Thank you Kyon! He's right, we got plenty of pictures. Suzumiya had plenty of souvenirs of her performing questionable acts to a partially undressed maid with glasses. My only hope is that her fetishes don't get any weirder, but for now Kyon seems to be under the impression that I can endure a bit of molestation and he'll end it before it gets too far.

"Hey, I said enough, stop that already!"

"It doesn't matter though. You wanna join in?"

I don't know which was worse, Kyon's face blushing as he seemed to genuinely consider the offer, or Suzumiya's face brightening as she offered to share her catch with her Kyon-kun. Please, someone go hug Nagato. She's probably getting lonely. Can't I at least have a break?

"Woah, what's going on here?"

The gentleman Koizumi made his entrance, and calmly looked around to analyze everyone's whereabouts in the room. With Haruhi practically framing my cleavage out for whoever was standing at the door, I was glad he didn't linger on just me, but the fact that Suzumiya's hands blocked the view might have influenced that decision…

"Koizumi, just in time! Come on, let's play with Asahina!"

I don't want to be played with!

Koizumi merely walked toward the table and placed his bag and himself down gently.

"No thanks. Seems pretty scary to me actually."

You have no idea!

"Mind if I just sit and watch?"

I do mind actually. These kinds of situations only get more embarrassing with an audience you know! At least when it's just me and Suzumiya I have the comfort of knowing no one else will know about it.

Suzumiya-san's disturbingly warm embrace was soon pried off me, allowing me to button up and hand Nagato-san her glasses back. It looks like today's sexy party was over. Now I only have to look forward to the ones for every other day of the school year.

"Alright, we've taken enough photos already I guess."

Excellent! Now I can just sit down and be appreciated like a porcelain doll instead of a rubber inflatable one.

The rest of the meeting was spent discussing the next step for the SOS Brigade. By this, I mean the actual purpose of the SOS Brigade. Up until now Suzumiya-san has only worked on getting new members and attention to the Brigade, but she was now ready to put us to work.

I'm not quite sure what to do though. We're supposed to look for aliens, time travelers, and espers, but I already know where to find one of each. Any searches I do would just be a waste of time, especially since I can't even show Suzumiya my results.

Of course, a search was exactly what Suzumiya-san wanted. After a heartfelt speech she verbally instructed us all on where we are to meet next and what arrangements need to be made. It was pretty exhausting, especially knowing how this search would very likely turn up nothing if she managed to get this close to aliens, time travelers, and espers, all without even knowing.

I guess I should be thankful though. Once Suzumiya began to get serious about club duties she had forgotten all about her playtime with me. She still gave both me and Kyon a passing glance and smirk once it came time to exchange phone numbers. Which one of us was her love interest again?

I have a cell phone, one from this time, and I've used it on a few occasions while on this temporal plane, but I was still very inexperienced with this kind of technology. Why do the buttons and screen have to be so small? New forms of communication wont be discovered for a while though, so on my way home I reluctantly spent the whole trip watching the tiny numbers on the screen dance as I sorted through my new list of contacts.

At the very top was Suzumiya-san, who insisted nobody call her unless it was something new and exciting. Does that mean we can't call her if it's a boring emergency? Below her name was Koizumi Itsuki and [Kyon], the last of which was a name I was actually unfamiliar with, but I felt odd having just "Kyon" in the middle of all these highly detailed contacts.

At the bottom was Nagato Yuki, who claimed to have no phone. After disbelief on Suzumiya's behalf, although no one else was the least bit surprised it seemed, Nagato-san eventually changed her mind and decided she did have a phone. We only got one number, so I don't even know if it's a home or cell number, and I hope no emergencies come up where I'll have to find out.

Tomorrow would be Saturday, and for the first time I was invited to an all day trip around town with fellow students. I was told to enjoy my time in this century, and having a day to just enjoy the company of your friends, maybe going to a nice restaurant and getting some shopping done, it all sounded like a really fun experience. But there's no way it would be anything so simple and average sounding if Suzumiya-san was involved.

Once I got home I began to feel a bit homesick. A few years ago I was still going shopping for new outfits before the Summer comes around this time of year with my mother. While in school I'd sometimes get invited out on nice days just like this one. There was no Suzumiya Haruhi back then. There weren't even any time quakes or plane destruction seminars to attend. Maybe I picked the wrong career.

Thinking about my own time, I eventually felt like I was there again, back at the main office, speaking with the receptionist on the first day. Now that's a job I could get behind. Not only would I spend all my time in one spot, but I could warn unsuspecting new interns like myself of what they were getting themselves into.

Of course, I'm sure other time travelers don't have to deal with anything like Suzumiya-san in their whole lifetimes, so maybe I'm just the unlucky one.

Just when I had gotten my mind off this time business, I noticed a small postcard on the table in my living room. I didn't notice it there before, and it didn't seem very important at all, except for one small detail: it contained a time stamp and coding on the bottom edge.

It was off to the side of the mail, which usually consisted of junk and coupons since I have no family or business in this time, but I don't remember if I saw this on the pile or not. Not that it mattered though, this was clearly a message from my own temporal plane. Seems kind of dangerous to have these kinds of thing on paper though.

Picking up the postcard, I read the top of the small paragraph printed on the only part that wasn't blank.

_Saturday morning_

This Saturday? Is this a new mission, or some kind of addition to my old notes and information? As I read on, it seems I now had something to do tomorrow, something I never thought I'd have to do, especially so soon.

I had a new mission. This one didn't involve Suzumiya Haruhi. At least, not directly. Instead it involved someone else entirely, and all I can say regarding this new task I was given is this: I hate it when I'm right.

* * *

><p>On Saturday morning I arrived by the station, and although I wasn't the last to show up, it seems most of the Brigade had been waiting a while already.<p>

"Mikuru, what took you so long! Koizumi and Yuki-chan got here ages ago! As Brigade Chief I have to wait for everyone, but you can't keep the entire Brigade waiting."

Kyon-kun isn't even here though. By Suzumiya's logic I only kept two out of three people waiting. That's still well past 60%, but who cares about percentages with such low numbers.

"Good morning Miss Asahina. Don't worry, I don't mind waiting. The only reason I arrived early is because I merely woke up and threw something on before coming here."

Koizumi-kun wore a nicely pressed brown jacket over a bright pink shirt with a nice and dapper neck tie going down the center. He cleaned up rather nicely, and he was already a fair sight to begin with. If this is something he just threw on then the extensive hair routines I try on a regular basis are more excessive than I thought.

"Never mind what you're wearing. You both look nice as it is. Now where's that Kyon?"

Suzumiya-san was wearing a rather cute long sleeve shirt and skirt combo, although the rest of her looked about the same as she usually does in her uniform. I hate to admit it, but seeing her dressed so casually makes it rather easy to forget her usual self, even with her scowling like that as we waited for our last arrival.

If I didn't know any better I'd say Suzumiya Haruhi was rather cute looking. I'd be glad to introduce her as a friend of mine if she just kept her mouth shut. Wait, that sounded mean didn't it?

Off to the side was Nagato-san, still wearing her school uniform. First she had no phone, now she has no clothes? This girl really isn't human. I wonder, does she even sleep or eat?

Koizumi-kun tried to spark up some conversation, which was definitely a nicer alternative to the rushed Suzumiya expressing disbelief in Kyon-kun's tardiness every time there's a pause. I should note that it's still not even the appointed time we arranged for the meeting. If Kyon arrives in the next ten minutes he'd still be early.

I admit, it was still nice, and on occasion Koizumi would try to bring Nagato into the conversation, which would result in her giving an actual response half the time! Is this boy really an esper? He's way too nice. Even Kyon-kun could learn something from him, not that there's anything wrong with Kyon-kun now.

Speaking of him, he arrived less than five minutes after I did, but unlike myself he was thoroughly punished for making us wait. I just got here though! Don't drag me into his guilt trip. Kyon had to pay for our drinks, meaning our first stop was the nearby café.

* * *

><p>"Now let's draw lots!"<p>

At the café we were all made sure of Suzumiya's plan while we enjoyed our drinks. Nagato-san in particular took her time to enjoy the place and put much thought into what she should order. This was actually a nice place. I wouldn't mind coming back here if it meant the five of us could enjoy a nice day out on the streets.

Suzumiya-san prepared five toothpicks and marked two of them with a pen. The way she planned things out we were going to split up into two teams, travel in opposite directions, then meet up later to show our findings.

Just when I worried about whether I'd be able to get anything done, or worse, what if I get on the two person team with just Suzumiya, I was relieved to find that my partner for the day was none other than Kyon himself. Well this seemed to work out rather well.

"Kyon, this isn't a date. Take this seriously!"

"Okay already!"

I never even thought about how date-like our scenario was until Suzumiya mentioned it. And here I was thinking I could finally relax. Now I have to be careful not to let Suzumiya-san think I'm trying to steal Kyon from her. As far as I can tell, those two aren't even dating though, so why do I have to be so careful? It's not like I'd have the courage to try anything with Kyon-kun anyways, even if it were allowed.

"What exactly are we supposed to be looking for?" asked Koizumi-kun.

"Anything suspicious! Anything or anyone that looks odd, like portals to another dimension, or aliens disguised as humans."

The alien disguised as a human in our group calmly drank her tea as Suzumiya-san continued to provide us with increasingly unlikely examples of what we should find. She doesn't honestly expect us to find any of this stuff, does she? There's a limit to these things you know. What happens if someone turns me in as a time traveler? She'd probably expect me to have laser guns and cybernetic implants or something (although she's definitely felt my body enough times to know that last part isn't true).

"I see, so all we have to do is look for aliens, time travelers, and espers with supernatural powers, as well as any traces they may have left behind on this Earth. I understand completely."

Is this boy really an esper? I still haven't pinpointed what kind of faction he's from based off what little traces of Data interference I detected off him. For all I know even he's unaware of what kind of supernatural powers he may have. In class we learned of the theory that humans have a natural ability to manipulate Data without the use of Data-based code or technology, so that's definitely a possibility.

The fact that he looked directly at Nagato-san when he said "alien", right before he tilted his head in my direction just so he could say "time traveler" was a dead giveaway he knew more than he let on though. I was certain he was here for the same reasons as the rest of us. I guess it was foolish of me to think things might get easy for once.

"Alright, let's go!"

* * *

><p>My first official non-date with Kyon was surprisingly quiet. I don't mean Kyon-kun was surprisingly quiet. He's always like that. I don't think I ever heard him make a peep unless he was standing up against Suzumiya-san or protecting me from something. It's rather noble, but not much of a conversation piece.<p>

The quiet part came from our surroundings. After parting from Suzumiya's party, Kyon and I merely stood in our spots for a few seconds wondering just where we were supposed to go. We were given a vague compass point and instructions to please Suzumiya, but that doesn't help much.

It was Kyon's idea to just walk around, which I guess is the only thing any of us could do in this situation. It wasn't long before we ended up at the riverbank and continued down its path. On certain times of year the river is a wonderful place for activity. There could be cherry blossoms and birds, and among us would be families and tourists and joggers enjoying the sights. It's definitely one of my favourite parts of town, not that I know this town well enough.

Today was just an ordinary day though. The trees were plain with no special animal sounds in particular. The occasional jogger or couple walking by would be there to greet us, but for the most part it was just me and Kyon, who remained quiet as ever, even when I accidentally bumped into him and touched his shoulder. It was totally an accident by the way, so don't get any bright ideas about me.

Probably most chilling though was the fact that I had been given my first official mission the night before, and I knew I'd have to carry it out sometime today. With Suzumiya gone I've been given the perfect chance, but I was definitely still nervous.

Since we have a few hours I figured maybe I should lighten the mood and do some sweet talking with Kyon-kun. Well, maybe not sweet talk, that gives the wrong impression. I don't want to scare him off if I come on too strong. Wait, what am I saying, this isn't even a date!

Alright, the chips are on the table. I have a mission to carry out and I can't carry it out if I'm too nervous. The fate of the world is counting on my ability to make pleasant conversation.

"This is the first time I've had a walk like this!"

"What do you mean?"

"A walk, like…with a boy…just the two of us."

One sentence in and I already messed up. Why couldn't I have just said I've never walked by the river before? Kyon-kun, this is my first time walking by the river with a friend. Doesn't that sound more believable?

Of course, I really haven't ever walked with a boy like this, but now's not the time to say it!

"That's a little surprising actually. Don't tell me you've never gone out with a guy before."

Why are you continuing this discussion!? Can't you read the telepathic "STOP TALKING" messages I just shouted at myself? And no, I've never gone out with a guy before. It's way too embarrassing, even before I came to this school.

"But there's been plenty of guys who confessed to you, right?"

I don't keep track of that sort of thing. None of this is important, I was just trying to make pleasant conversation. Why is everything suddenly about me?

Besides, I can't get involved with anyone at the moment. I'm not allowed to interfere with this time, and it's impossible to have a long distance relationship with anyone back home when I'm constantly disappearing from the entire temporal plane for years at a time.

That's right, Kyon-kun. You may think I'm cute or charming. You could indirectly compliment me with your looks of shock. In the end though, the life of a time traveler is not one for romance, it's one for doing what's right.

I have to do this now.

"Kyon-kun," I interrupted, making sure to pause our walk to get his full attention. "There's something I want to tell you."

"Tell me?"

This was in the order I received before. Nagato-san, Koizumi-kun, and I, we were all sent here to observe Suzumiya-san, but Kyon-kun, I always wondered what your role in this was. Kyon and Suzumiya. Suzumiya Haruhi and [Kyon]. They were connected in some way. I know that now.

Today, I am to alert Kyon-kun of my presence, and my existence as a time traveler. Those were the instructions printed out for me in last night's mail.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, not at all. Maybe we should sit down first."

At this moment I realized how perfect this day was going. First Kyon and I are left alone at the first chance we had, and now there's a bench right next to where I stopped, on a riverbank that's conveniently emptied out by now. Not a single chirp would interrupt us.

Alright, now, where to begin? I never was good at explaining things. And what if he doesn't believe me?

Hey Kyon-kun, I'm from the future and was sent here on a mission to observe a time anomaly cause by your good friend Suzumiya-san, which you may or may not be involved with! Who would believe that!?

Of course, the instructions never said I had to get him to believe me. It seems it was predetermined that I confess my secret to Kyon today, but whether he believes me or not is irrelevant. All that matters is that he hears what I have to say. I guess this knowledge will become important to him later on. In that case, here goes.

"I'm not from this time and age. I am a person from the future…"

The next few minutes involved me trying to explain Digitized Reality Theory and temporal fault lines to someone who's never even heard of time functions. I'm not even sure if he understood what I was saying, let alone believed me, and half the time I was just hastily trying to explain things the way my old teachers did.

You see, time is like a cartoon. Different digitized planes form cells stacked onto each other to be played in the form of a moving image. They stack together, but there is no movement between them because there is a layer of air between each film. Oh great, now I'm getting into molecular theory. Maybe something simpler.

Travel between planes requires a strong force of Data capable of tearing through fault lines, allowing someone to travel through these spaces into a temporal plane they didn't exist in beforehand. So I'm like a doodle an animator's child drew all over his life's work.

Eventually I was at a loss of words. I've explained enough right? If I went into the details of Time Plane Destruction or Linear Time Exponentials this would only make his brain hurt. After I paused, a couple with a small child passed by. The pause gave me time to think.

I'm certain I said plenty. This kind of stuff doesn't matter. I already told Kyon I'm a time traveler and how I got here, now I just have one last thing to tell him.

"Let me tell you why I've come to this temporal plane."

I spent the entire first half of my speech staring at my toes (why must my toes be so toe-like?). As I looked up and got my first view of Kyon-kun post-confession I saw he was having a hard time following. Does he believe me or not?

Well, I got this far. I can't stop now.

"Three years ago we detected a huge time quake. That is, three years ago from our current point of view, when Suzumiya Haruhi was in junior high."

Kyon became attentive when I mentioned Suzumiya-san's name. Was he surprised I mentioned her? Was he expecting something else? This is frustrating. I have no idea what he knows.

"Um, upon investigation, we were surprised to discover that we were unable to go further back in time beyond that point. The conclusion was that an abnormally large fault line was created at that specific point in time, one too large for us to traverse. We only recently discovered the cause of that. Oh, by which I mean recently according to the time I came from, not now."

Time travel makes it very difficult to use pronouns and verb tenses. At least Kyon-kun should understand now why I've been sent here to investigate.

"And what's the cause?"

My suspicions that Kyon-kun has some unknown connection regarding Suzumiya-san were getting stronger. When he asked me his shock and curiosity from before had disappeared, almost as if he knew what the answer was, but he had to ask anyways. He seemed almost as if he wants the answer to be anything but-

"Suzumiya-san."

His eyes widened. I don't know what Kyon-kun has heard, but this definitely isn't his first time hearing about something like this.

"The reason is because of Suzumiya-san. She's located at the center of all this. Please don't ask why. I'm not allowed to inform you, but we're certain that Suzumiya-san has somehow blocked passage into the past from three years ago."

"I find it unlikely Suzumiya is capable of such a thing."

"Neither did I! In all honesty, it's impossible for an ordinary human to interfere with temporal planes at all. This is a complete mystery, and it seems that even Suzumiya-san herself doesn't know how she's creating these temporal distortions and time quakes. That's why I'm here. My task is to observe any unusual changes to the temporal planes."

Kyon's silence followed by his look of deep thought implied that my story made sense. For Suzumiya-san to do something humanly impossible, of course the people from my time would send someone to investigate. The only question was, did he find my story to be truth, or just a good work of fiction.

"So why are you telling me this?"

In all honesty I have no idea myself. At first I thought Kyon-kun had some unknown connection to Suzumiya-san, just as she shows no signs of conscious effort into her temporal distortions. I can't help but feel that Kyon himself is aware of something, or at the very least has his own suspicions.

Kyon-kun, what is your connection to Suzumiya-san? As far as I know, you never met her before high school and had no connection to the quake from three years ago. Why were you drawn into all this? The SOS Brigade, my mission, and Suzumiya-san herself. Something about you makes you special, not just to us, but to Suzumiya as well.

"It's because you've been chosen by Suzumiya-san, Kyon-kun. I can't give you the full details, but from what I've guessed, you are very important to Suzumiya-san. There is a reason to everything she does, as well as her connection to you."

"Then Nagato-san and Koizumi…?"

He knows! What do I do now? I was only informed to alert Kyon of my own presence. Am I allowed to tell him about other things unrelated to myself as well?

"Those two are…similar, but Suzumiya-san is unaware that she has gathered us all together."

"Then do you know what they are?"

"Classified Information."

Ow! My head hurts! All I did was say yes. Wait, that wasn't what I said, was it? If I heard correctly I said…

"What would happen if we just leave Haruhi alone?"

"Classified Information."

Well I guess my questions are answered. This is the first time I've made an actual effort to reveal such information to anyone. My headache seems to have come from the unexpected surge of Data protection censoring my own thoughts. It would be nice if I got a heads up on how the conditioning method worked.

"If you're from the future, do you know what happens next?"

"Classified Information."

I now know that my mission is complete. I've told him everything he needs to know. Anything else is forbidden knowledge to him and I'd never be able to tell him no matter how hard I tried. In a way I'm a bit relieved. That means my job is finished for now. The rest is up to Kyon-kun.

"What happens if I tell Haruhi about this?"

"Classified Information."

The buzzing in my head stopped once Kyon-kun paused once again. It looks like our chat was finished. Whatever's going on between you and your Haruhi, Kyon, I hope this helps.

"It doesn't matter if you don't believe me. I'd just like you to know of this."

Suddenly what was happening had just dawned on me. Kyon-kun wasn't the one left in the dark. All this time I was so nervous, but in the end my mission was just to deliver a message so the real person behind the job could handle this. Well great, so I was worried over nothing. It was never my job to begin with.

In that case…I hope I did a good enough job to help Kyon-kun.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Really…"

The two of us stood facing the river, uncertain of what the other was thinking. I'm now glad this wasn't a date. I had previously set a standard for my imaginary first date and this did not meet those standards at all.

"Asahina-san, can we pretend this didn't happen? Whether I believe you or not, let's not worry about that for now."

That's…a very good idea! If Kyon-kun ever needs my help with whatever it is he's doing here, I'd be glad to do what I can. For now though, that's just background information. Suddenly we were back to being two close friends, recently brought together through an unusual club, taking a stroll down the river.

It was pretty peaceful. Having Kyon-kun be the one I shared this moment with made it all the more special.

"I think that's just fine. It's probably the best solution. Please, just treat me like you always have. I'm counting on you."

Taking this moment to give Kyon-kun a bow of my gratitude. I really couldn't help but smile. Kyon really is good at making bad moments nice ones again. It's a gift.

"Can I ask you one thing?"

Anything you want Kyon!

"What's your real age?"

"Classified Information~"

I almost want to punish my eyes for making such an embarrassing winking motion, but it was hard enough suppressing the giggles building up in me. Kyon-kun, I ought to punish you for getting me so excited like that. That's probably Suzumiya-san's job though, isn't it?

True to his word, Kyon-kun went about the rest of the day as if nothing had happened. Despite this not being a date, I definitely wouldn't have known any better if he told me it was. The handsome young man by my side escorted me to some lovely places for window shopping and some ice cream. I almost blushed at the thought of what he'd do if this were a real date.

The day ended perfectly.

At least, that's how I wish it had ended. There was still plenty more of the day left, as was brought to my attention when Kyon's phone suddenly began ringing.

It was Suzumiya.


	10. Century Blues - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Mikuru, pay attention! We're not here for shopping! I bet that Kyon let you do whatever didn't he? Did you two do any serious work at all?"

It felt like a lifetime since I was enjoying my quiet time with Kyon-kun, but it had to end eventually. For the rest of the afternoon I found myself having to deal with Suzumiya-san up close, stuck in her team for the second town search. I kind of feel bad for Koizumi-kun now. He got Suzumiya on his team all day.

After the SOS Brigade regrouped from our first search we had lunch and split up into different teams. I was a little disappointed I wouldn't get more alone time with Kyon, but maybe it would be too difficult if I got too close to him anyways. Yeah, that's the logic I'm going with. It wasn't because I felt upset at having my non-date be over.

In the end, we drew straws once more and Kyon was paired up with Yuki while us remaining three went off on our own.

"Miss Suzumiya, where would you suggest going to next?"

Somehow, despite Suzumiya-san's insistence that we're not here to enjoy the window shopping, we ended up at another shopping district. It wasn't as nice as the stores Kyon-kun took me to, but it was still tempting to look around.

Of course, this was Suzumiya we're talking about. I'm not quite sure what her criteria for this search were, but we somehow convinced her to search in a populated area. I'm sure if time travelers existed they'd be looking at those lovely dresses in that window over there.

"I don't think there's anything unusual here, but you did raise a good point Koizumi, maybe strange people are trying to blend in here. I've got an idea!"

Suzumiya took a few steps into a store before stopping in her tracks and turning to give me a look over.

"Koizumi, keep Mikuru company. I think I'll go inside alone."

Well that sure is a waste of a perfectly good shopping experience.

"Of course, Miss Suzumiya. What is it you plan on doing exactly?"

"That's not important! Just wait for me out here!"

Suzumiya left me and the model student beside me standing outside while she went exploring the mysterious clothing shop. My guess is she's planning to observe strange people up close. Unfortunately for her, the only people she'll find are those trying to shop without having some strange teenage girl interrogate them.

If Suzumiya-san truly wanted to observe strange beings, she should have stayed out here with us.

"She might be a while. Why don't we find a place to sit? There's actually something I wish to discuss with you."

Me? Discuss? Wasn't I just on the other side of this conversation? Unable to conjure up words, I merely nodded and Koizumi-kun led me to a small bench nearby.

"Now let's see. I apologize if I come across as unusual. To be honest, I didn't plan on talking to anyone about what I'm about to ask you today, so I guess I'll just wing it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Miss Asahina, how much do you know about Miss Suzumiya?"

What kind of question is this? Is he talking about Suzumiya as a person? I don't have much information on her personal life if that what he means.

"No, that's not quite what I had in mind. Nevermind then. Maybe it's too soon to discuss this sort of thing."

This sort of thing? I assume he's referring to…

"She's quite an interesting human being, isn't she?"

Suddenly the air became chilly. I think I need an adult now.

"I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure what we can discuss presently. You know, for a while, there was so much I wished to talk about, but to someone who's less biased than my usual acquaintances. For this reason, I'm glad Suzumiya-san has brought us all together like this."

Am I even allowed to have conversations like this?

"Don't worry. Since Suzumiya could return at any moment I'll keep things brief. I don't think she'd enjoy the thought of us discussing her behind her back. Basically, I was wondering, what do you think about Miss Suzumiya and the…unique qualities about her."

To anyone passing by it would seem Koizumi-kun and I were merely discussing the eccentricities of a normal girl, and maybe we really are and I'm reading too much into it. But didn't he already say that's not what he meant by unusual? And what does he mean what I think of her?

"Suzumiya-san is…Suzumiya-san?"

"I suppose that's definitely a good summary of her," he said, with a slight laugh before continuing.

"It's difficult putting it into words. I'm not sure what it is you've learned about her, but I'll just say that I truly believe Suzumiya's well being and state of mind have a powerful influence on those around her. For this reason, I believe it's best we make her happy and satisfied with life. Don't you think that's a wise choice?"

Well being?

I get the feeling I just heard something new and important. So what I got from this inquiry is that Koizumi believes Suzumiya's mood affects…whatever it is he believes she does. Truth be told, that doesn't contradict anything I've discovered on my own.

I've been given no information regarding how Suzumiya's ability to create temporal distortions work exactly, and I definitely found no signs myself. It's definitely a possibility that if Suzumiya is unaware of her ability, then it could be the result of a subconscious effort affected by her mood.

"So, when Suzumiya-san is upset or angry…?"

"It usually causes trouble for the rest of us. Right now, it may not seem like it, but Suzumiya is enjoying herself. At least, she's enjoying herself in a way she didn't before. She's begun a club and has fun organizing activities such as this. Unfortunately, this has a side effect of raising her expectations beyond that which any of us can deliver upon. I'm afraid even now she's showing signs of regret and disappointment."

What does she have to be disappointed about? She doesn't honestly expect us to accomplish anything when she barely gives us any instructions, let alone ones that make sense.

"Make no mistake, Suzumiya is a bright young lady. She's well aware that it's foolish to expect such drastic results. That's probably the reason things are still somewhat peaceful. I honestly don't remember the last time I spent the whole day outside with friends like we are now. However, she's still human, and humans have many subconscious desires. Although she knows her own desires aren't quite reasonable, the lack of progress is definitely taking its toll on her."

"So why are we discussing this then?"

"Jumping to the end I see. Well, I understand if you feel uncomfortable discussing this matter. You never quite answered my question after all. Come to think of it, I'm not even sure I'd have an answer myself if you asked the same of me. But I guess it's time I cut to the chase. We don't have all day after all."

Considering this is the first time I've heard Koizumi speak directly to me for so long, I definitely wasn't expecting so much talk.

"As I explained, I believe it's best to make Miss Suzumiya happy, but as long as she raises her expectations to that which we cannot satisfy, there is a serious problem. The way things are now, she might even give up on us. And there's no telling what she'd do after. So you can see why this might be concerning. What I'm trying to say is that my previous exploits in trying to bring out a more cheerful disposition in Miss Suzumiya have proven to be more difficult to pull off than I expected. It seems I alone am not enough."

So what can we do? I've let Suzumiya enjoy herself with me in ways I never want to ever again. I'd hate to have to do more.

"I think it's no secret we all come from different backgrounds. Still, I'm not sure about you, but I value everyone's safety over my own ties, which is why I'm proposing we work together, not as strange beings brought to Suzumiya by her own will, but as individuals who wish to bring about peace. After all, we are both members of the SOS Brigade, are we not?"

"I don't think I can make any promises about working with you."

"I thought so. I guess there's no point beating around the bush any further. I know you are a time traveler, and it seems you know about my connections with my esper Organization, right?"

So that's who he's working for. That was easy to figure out.

"Classified information," was all I could say.

"I know Miss Nagato would be willing to become an ally as well. My point is this though, right now, as aliens, time travelers, and espers, we can do little more than observe, and from what I've observed, things aren't heading in a very pleasant direction. Together though, we're three individuals who wish to keep everyone safe. I don't have anything in mind, but if I ever need help, I'm hoping I can count on you, not as a representative of your own faction of time travelers, but as a fellow member of the SOS Brigade."

That…sounds reasonable I guess. I couldn't help but notice Koizumi neglected to mention a certain other member of our group.

"And I'm also interested in [Kyon], or Kyon as everyone seems to be calling him. The fact that he managed to get involved in all this is rather fascinating don't you think? Paranormal backgrounds aside, I'd say he's probably the most unusual out of all of us."

Kyon's the nicest most normal person in the SOS Brigade. I'd have to question the judgment of anyone who places him as number one in the unusual category.

"Don't get me wrong. He seems to be an excellent guy. I'm sure when the time comes we can count on him as well, and I'd be more than glad to help him out in any way."

That's better.

"The same offer applies to you and Miss Nagato as well. Even Miss Suzumiya is welcome to my assistance in any way I can help. I don't consider her an enemy by any means."

Well, enemy would be pretty a pretty strong word to describe Suzumiya-san.

"Lousy store managers! What the hell is wrong with those people!? Harassing the customers? What kind of argument is that? I'm a customer too!"

Signaling the end of our discussion, Suzumiya had returned, possibly in a worse mood than before. If what Koizumi said is true and her mood controls the strange behaviors surrounding her then I hope no kittens mysteriously died nearby.

"Well that sure was a waste. Next time we better plan this out better. You guys think of ideas? They better be good ones too! Anything less and you shouldn't even bother mentioning them."

Are we seriously being scolded for something we might not do in the future?

"Let's head back now. Kyon and Yuki should probably be there by the time we arrive."

Koizumi-kun merely shrugged and ignored the half finished conversation we were in just now. Without a single ounce of suspicious air around him the two of us began to follow the Suzumiya shaped blur speeding ahead already.

Unfortunately for us, the day didn't quite end there. Contrary to what was just guessed, there was no sign of Kyon-kun or Nagato-san. Unlike earlier this morning though, their tardiness would be classified as late even by normal standards. I didn't want to say anything, but we were waiting for longer than even I had expected.

If Suzumiya's bad moods affect the world around her strongly enough to distort time itself, then I'm honestly feeling a little frightened by the increasingly dark tone she's carrying with her words.

Once Suzumiya called Kyon though, I really began to hope Koizumi and this Organization of espers he belongs to weren't as well informed as he thinks. As far as I could remember, there was some Organization dedicated to random vague acts of mystery surrounding Suzumiya Haruhi. I'm sure any theory of theirs regarding Suzumiya's subconscious affecting her surroundings should be taken with a grain of salt right?

"You dumbass! What do you think you're doing!? Get your asses down here right now! You have thirty seconds!"

For the next several minutes Koizumi-kun and I exchanged awkward glances at one another while Suzumiya attracted attention in our general direction as she continuously called Kyon-kun's phone to deliver increasingly vulgar messages. She knows there could be children walking nearby right?

Once the two late members finally arrived my hopes that Suzumiya-san would be in a better mood drifted into nothing. Not only was Kyon-kun bringing on the wrath of Suzumiya Haruhi, but beside him was Nagato-san, almost excitedly holding a book tightly in her arms. Where did she get that? Did Kyon go on a date with her too and buy it for her? Wait, these weren't supposed to be dates in the first place.

The day soon ended after Kyon bought more drinks for us. I considered turning down drinks, but Suzumiya had brought me and Koizumi along for a pretty long walk. Aside from my brief conversation with my potential esper ally, we spent the entire afternoon running and following Suzumiya-san's rather brisk speed. It was tiring!

The aura of rage that filled our entire vicinity didn't make things any easier, but luckily it was time to depart. One by one, the members of the SOS Brigade parted from our meeting point. Nagato-san left without a word, and Koizumi-kun smiled and thanked me for my company. So does that mean he and I are following the "pretend the mysterious confession didn't happen" rule as well?

Suzumiya-san ignored everyone once we started leaving, not even acknowledging any goodbyes or waves. Beside her was Kyon, who remained surprisingly unmoved by the scary girl following him around. It was tricky pulling him aside so I could thank him for our much more peaceful time together. That was easily the highlight of my day.

Leaving the rest behind, I headed home. Today was quite a busy day, but I guess I should only have expected such. My first direct orders were carried out without any real problems, and aside from Suzumiya-san's shouting in the end, it went better than I expected.

I just hope Kyon-kun's alright.

* * *

><p>The next day was difficult to get through to say the least. After such a busy day of mysteries and new confessions and revelations, it was difficult to actually have the day off for a change. By the time Monday rolled by I was amazed that such a normal life could even exist after such excitement.<p>

In all honesty, I was a bit thankful. My talk with Kyon-kun made me feel glad to have such close friends in all this I can talk to, and it seems Koizumi-kun wants to have a similar friendly relationship with us as well. Although I was definitely worried about what Suzumiya might do, especially after Koizumi's fears were expressed, I was still glad that I get to enjoy such good company, as well as a normal high school life in between.

In a way, I had almost forgotten completely about Suzumiya-san's scarier moments. Sure, there was at least one Organization out there that feared she might bring about dangers in the future, but I'm from the future myself. As far as I can tell, no catastrophic events happen within this time period that could be traced to Suzumiya-san. The world seems just fine.

I think I'm glad I went on that trip with everyone. Not only did I get to know everyone better, but it proved to me that Suzumiya was only human. Even the risk of her getting a little too playful with my body during dress-up time seemed rather trivial now that I had this strong feeling that Suzumiya posed no serious threat.

I could handle this. And even if I couldn't, I now have friends and allies outside of my own time that I can count on. I get the feeling things will be fine.

"Ah."

The sound of Kyon's voice snapped me out of my deep thoughts. Right now I was in the clubroom. After class duties I was surprised to find that even though I was late, the room was mostly empty. I wonder what Kyon-kun was doing.

Wait, something's wrong here. What was I forgetting? Oh right! At the time Kyon-kun walked in, I had already stripped down to my bra and panties to change into the maid costume I'm supposed to wear. My how embarrassing.

Wait, what!?

"Sorry!"

It wasn't until I heard the door slam that I became full aware of my surroundings. How long have I been standing here half naked? Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but Nagato-san was in the room with me. Was I seriously just standing there in my underwear in front of her thinking to myself for that long?

Okay, new rule, I'll prepare these inner monologues at better opportunities.

Aside from embarrassing myself once again, the following evening was rather pleasant. Figuring I should make the best of my new maid attire, I decided to serve my fellow clubmates some tea. Kyon-kun and Nagato-san seemed to be satisfied with a quiet day, and that's all it was.

The reason the day remained peaceful from start to finish though was because neither Suzumiya-san nor Koizumi-kun showed up that day.

The strangest part though is that this wasn't a single occurrence. Throughout the week, this peaceful wave continued. The next day I found out Suzumiya-san had been feeling ill and Koizumi-kun was busy with some part time work. I wonder what kind of work that is…

Kyon-kun and Nagato-san continued to be their quiet selves. I admit, I was pretty bored by then, but compared to the strange club activities from before I was thankful to be receiving a break in the first place.

Still, I hope Suzumiya-san gets better soon. I'd hate for anyone here to be feeling sick for long. As difficult as things have been I realized there was at least one bit of truth to Koizumi-kun's words from before. We were all part of the SOS Brigade, regardless of background, and though we may not exactly go well together, we're still individuals with the potential of becoming friends.

I remained hopeful. Maybe a little fever might do Suzumiya some good. It would be nice to have her come in one day and be content with normal human activities for once. It would be best if she could just learn to enjoy herself instead of dragging us along on these strange trips with her.

By Wednesday though, this lack of activity from everyone had gone from peaceful to just plain suspicious. After another leisurely stroll up the stairs to the now SOS Brigade clubroom, I was greeted by a surprising sight.

_There are no activities for the SOS Brigade today. –Haruhi_

This didn't appear to be the same handwriting from those flyers Suzumiya had me pass out last week (I was quite proud of myself for having the detective skills to notice that), but after checking inside the room just to be sure, I saw that it was indeed empty. Not even Nagato-san was around. Technically she could have stayed in the room as part of the Literature Club though.

If one were to ask me how I felt about all this I'd have trouble answering. Having one day off was odd, but it was definitely a godsend. This entire week was turning into a disturbingly peaceful one though. For Suzumiya-san to skip club meetings was one thing, but now we're having them be cancelled. I haven't even seen her all week, and I had very little interactions with the others.

Great, am I seriously complaining about things being too peaceful?

You can't blame me for worrying though. There were still many concerns left to deal with. I still have no idea what exactly was the point of me having to reveal my true identity to Kyon-kun, or why he managed to take such an odd confession so well.

Then there was Koizumi and his esper Organization. Looking into what information I had, I found nothing of use regarding this mysterious entity. It's kind of humorous since he seemed to be under the impression I knew more than just his identity as a secret esper.

If it was true that Suzumiya's abilities could become dangerous, then I definitely felt uneasy having so many days in a row where nothing even happened. It was definitely a problem I didn't expect to face.

The day after that wasn't much better off. It began with just me serving tea to Kyon-kun and Nagato-san once again. This time we heard no word from Koizumi or Suzumiya-san that they'd be skipping activities as far as I knew, so they should be here as well pretty soon, right?

"So that's it."

Hmm? Kyon-kun was looking at something on the computer while I prepared the tea. After I brought my attention to him he clicked the little mouse and innocently said it was nothing. I would have believed him and forgotten about this exchange completely if my eyes didn't spot a familiar set of writing on the computer screen.

MIKURU.

That's my name! Why is there a file with my name on it in the Brigade computer? Kyon wants to keep it a secret. Is it a surprise? Well that's definitely a sweet thing to happen after all these glum and uneventful days. I must see it!

"Um…what's in there? I don't know, uh, I don't think it's anything. Yep, definitely nothing inside."

Wow, Kyon-kun sure is a bad liar. Who would've thought he'd leave himself so open to a good teasing. If Kyon had paid attention he might have avoided my next sneak attack, but nothing can escape me now!

"Asahina-san, please let go!"

Kyon-kun managed to move the mouse away from me, but I managed to grab him by the shoulders to keep him from playing keep-away any further. I'm gonna learn your secret Kyon. I wonder what he's hiding so thoroughly.

For the first time since I've joined this club I was grateful for Suzumiya-san's efforts to maximize my sex appeal. It sure made it easier to weaken Kyon once I noticed he was struggling to avoid staring at me now that I was pressed up close. His arms lowered enough for me to just barely reach that mouse. Quit fighting Kyon-kun, just let me have a peek, pretty please!

"What are you two doing?"

Someone please tell me Nagato-san took up ventriloquism.

Kyon-kun froze on the spot, and I think I did too, because I was unable to make my head turn enough to confirm what had happened. I didn't need visual confirmation though, it was clear that Suzumiya- Haruhi had just walked in through the door, and the first thing she saw was me using her Kyon-kun as my playtoy.

There's no way my timing could be that bad, can it?

"Hmph!"

My next course of action was to back away and sit down quietly. I don't know, maybe I instinctually thought that if I moved away I might be able to pretend Suzumiya-san didn't see anything. That's right, I was sitting here the whole time. Who was pressed up against whom? I have no idea what you're talking about.

Suzumiya walked in dressed only In her PE uniform. Did she go for a jog or something? There was no way I'd ask once I saw that ice cold scowl on her face, but I was still curious. Most of me was expecting some sort of punishment for what she just saw though.

All she did was put her bag down though. Suzumiya-san walked right past me and ignored everyone else for a moment until she decided it was time to turn to Kyon-kun.

"So you like maids now, huh?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"We need to change."

We? Don't get me dragged into this. Wait, didn't I start this in the first place? If only I had learned to ignore things with my name on it. Now I might never know what Kyon-kun was hiding in there. All those thoughts of discovering Kyon's secret stash of love letters addressed to his favourite time traveler had vanished into dust. Wait, what's with these fancy thoughts I'm having?

"I said we need to change."

"So?"

"So get out!"

Suzumiya's harsh tone was made all the more sharp once you realized that she never had any problems undressing me in front of Kyon-kun. Is she surprisingly shy about her own body? That definitely doesn't sound like her, and if she really is shy about letting Kyon see her, how come I had to be the star of our previous romps?

Of course, I didn't have much time to think about my past with Suzumiya-san at the time since she had chased Kyon-kun out of his chair and chased him out of the room. She even locked the door. I made special note of that last part since her hands seemed to linger at the doorknob.

Maybe she and Kyon-kun got in a fight. Suddenly I was reminded of the fact that this is the first time she's attended the SOS Brigade meetings all week. She skipped the first day without even a word, and I'm guessing Kyon-kun asked her about it the day after. If he ignored her she might not have given an excuse at all.

And I forgot to ask Kyon about yesterday's note. Club meeting was officially canceled. We never got a reason for that. Suddenly I felt so careless. I was supposed to be observing Suzumiya-san and yet so many important details went right past me.

Suzumiya-san had always been odd and a bit distasteful, but she's never sounded harsh or distant like she did today. It's obvious now something's upsetting her, and it's something big enough to affect her behavior all week. When did this start? Monday? No, the last I saw her on the weekend she was really upset at Kyon-kun.

That's it though isn't it? I always found it difficult to figure out the relationship between Kyon-kun and Suzumiya-san. On occasion I may have joked to myself about how they're an official couple, but it's clear they're not going out. But the way they act around each other, or at least, how Suzumiya acts.

The two must have had some sort of fight. Whether it be a lover's spat or just a fight between brigade members, something bad happened, which would explain why Suzumiya suddenly wants Kyon-kun out of the room. But what was at the center of it all?

Suzumiya had gotten upset at me before, but she never took anything personally. As I recall, Nagato-san was guilty of being late and ignoring orders just as much as Kyon-kun, but here she is in the room, getting a front row seat to Suzumiya-san's gym class reenactment without any problems, so that can't be it.

I wonder, if he's not her boyfriend, then what is Kyon-kun to Suzumiya? They seem closer than anyone else here. If it were anyone else, the answer would seem obvious. Suzumiya-san likes Kyon. Given who we're discussing though, I never quite considered that option. If Suzumiya wanted Kyon-kun she'd have just forced him to be with her.

But she didn't do anything like that. She brought him into her life and became upset once he resisted, but she never made the first move. Could it be that deep down she honestly wants a normal, mature, human relationship?

_Suzumiya's well being and state of mind have a powerful influence on those around her._

I remember what Koizumi-kun said before. If Suzumiya gets upset like she is now, something might happen. But why don't I care about that now? I feel bad for not noticing this possibility of Suzumiya's emotions sooner, but not because I neglected my duties as a partial observer.

I have friends in this temporal plane, but most of them I never meet outside of the classroom, and none of them are ones I really interact with outside of school. Suzumiya-san was different though. I spend more time after school with her, and the rest of the Brigade, than I do with anyone else. And despite her bossy tone I still spent the weekend looking at shops with her.

Suzumiya san…was my friend. That's what's bothering me. I neglected my duties, but the reason I suddenly feel guilty is because I neglected to notice my friend's melancholic state. In the past week Suzumiya-san had grown from a temporal anomaly and into a high school aged girl with feelings. And she just saw me fooling around with the boy she liked.

Mikuru-chan, you're a jerk.

_Fwoop._

In my deep thought I didn't notice Suzumiya was already undressed. At the table she had on the bunny girl outfit she bought for herself. Mine was still hung up nicely. Why was she going to wear that? Wait, something seems unusual about Suzumiya. Is she covering herself up?

Looking more closely I noticed a rag had been tossed onto my lap. Suzumiya, covering her partially naked body with her arms only glared at the table Kyon-kun was sitting in earlier. His tea had spilled everywhere. And I worked hard on that tea too.

Once Suzumiya gave me a quick final glance and resumed dressing herself I got an idea of what she wanted. Without a word being spoken between us, I got up and began cleaning the mess on the desk. I was wearing the appropriate maid outfit after all.

By the time I finished, Suzumiya-san had gotten dressed. She wore only the black leotard and ears while the rest of the bunny girl accessories were left unused and her clothes were clumsily stuffed into her bag.

I expected her to order me to hurry up, but instead the scantily clad bunny girl beside me stood waiting patiently for me to finish. She leaned against the wall, next to Nagato-san. The two looked like weird sisters the way neither of them seemed to move.

Once I finished, the desk was occupied by our Brigade Chief. I sat back down, but after a few minutes, the silence I expected to end resumed, leaving Kyon-kun outside waiting for nothing in particular. I gave Suzumiya a bit, in case she just forgot and would allow Kyon to return once she remembered, but once I lost patience I slowly got up and opened the door. Not wanting to upset Suzumiya-san any further I quickly went back to my desk while Kyon took in the unusual sight.

"The arms and back are a little cool, but this costume's a bit too tight."

Suzumiya struck up a casual conversation with her love interest, but the small talk quickly waned, leaving the room in another uncomfortable wave of silence for a bit. Luckily it didn't last anywhere near as long as the first.

"Woah, what's this? Are we having a costume party today?"

Koizumi-kun walked in and gave us all a warm greeting. The Brigade was complete, and I was actually a bit glad to see the esper boy show his pretty face again. If what he told me was true, he wants nothing more than to make Suzumiya happy for all of us.

"Mikuru-chan, sit here."

Is this my turn to be punished now? Suzumiya pointed at a chair in front of her. Without much choice, and overcome with a little bit of guilt, I sat down obediently. Suzumiya then began playing with my hair, doing many different hairstyles. I expected her to suddenly yank my hair once she tied it into a ponytail, but she remained uncharacteristically gentle. What was she up to? I hurt her feelings didn't I? I made a move on the boy whose attention she's been trying to earn. Shouldn't she be planning something with me?

In front of me, the boys of the SOS Brigade played the same board games I once challenged Nagto-san to. The sight before me was a peaceful one, and despite my paranoia, Suzumiya continued to mirror that peace as she tied up my hair in different styles. Nagato-san read her book the same as always.

The SOS Brigade continued the rest of that evening having done nothing in particular. I felt like this was a nice club to join, but as I learned by now, the one person this Brigade was made for, and the one who had brought us all together, was the only one not satisfied.

I'm sorry Haruhi.

* * *

><p>Somehow, I found myself standing alone in the dark. It was nighttime. Despite the sun having disappeared from the sky it was still warm. The nice Spring was officially no more, and the chill breezes that lingered long after Winter had died out.<p>

In front of me was North High School, the very same one I had left earlier that evening. The streets were empty and no doubt the school's halls were somehow even more barren at this time of night. I neglected to look at the clock before leaving my home, so I had no idea what time it even was, but it sure felt late. Like a completely different world.

In my pocket my hands wrapped around the note that sent me here. I kept having to check every five seconds to make sure it was there, in case I had imagined the incident that awaited me when I got home.

After our eerily quiet meeting in the clubroom everyone had parted ways. Suzumiya and I stayed behind to get dressed, but Suzumiya-san was out of her bunny girl outfit and ready to leave in half the time I was, so I spent plenty of time alone in that room.

The evening I just experienced was an odd one. After my realization that inside that temporal anomaly that is Suzumiya Haruhi was a typical young girl, no different from myself or any other girl in the school, it was difficult for me to avoid reflecting on my previous actions.

Kyon-kun was, without a doubt, a nice young boy, and thinking about our date by the riverside was enough to lighten my spirits so much I worried they might float off into the clouds. But how can I think such thoughts knowing how much he means to Suzumiya-san? I don't even belong in this plane. Relationships are forbidden. Kyon-kun and I have no future, so how could I ever let myself get in the way of two very close friends who could be more?

Then there's Koizumi and Nagato-san. Their presence reminded me of my mission, but by this point it feels like all three of us are in this together. Koizumi-kun put it best: we are all part of the SOS Brigade, and we should all work together to make the world a safer place, perhaps by overloading it with fun.

These are all thoughts I already had though. The real thing I had trouble remembering was what followed after. Now that I knew I could get missions from my time at any moment I had gotten in the habit of checking the post daily. I had just about given up on this task when I found another postcard with the same time stamp from before with my mail.

_Tonight, before dawn, be in front of the school entrance._

It was definitely meant for me. The order was vague, but what else could it mean? Since I took my time getting home it was already getting pretty dark by the time I arrived, but just to be safe I took a warm bath and tried to gather my thoughts before going, making sure it was well past bedtime before leaving my empty home once more.

The bath did me no good. Not only have my previous worries continued to persist in my head, but now I had to worry about this new mission. What if I showed up late? What am I even supposed to do? Should I wait for something to happen or is there some task that needs to be accomplished.

It wasn't long before I heard noises though. I'm not sure what I expected, but just to be safe I thought it would be best to hide. If someone were to ask what I was doing outside of the school at a time like this I'd have no excuse to give.

At least that's what the plan was. Heading towards some bushes, I somehow managed to trip on nothing and found myself face down on the floor. I think I scratched my nose on the pavement too. That hurt!

"Well this is quite a surprise. Do you need any help Miss Asahina?"

Hearing that familiar voice made me relax and panic at the same time. What was Koizumi doing here? Lifting up my head to see the boy's legs on the ground, followed by the hand he politely offered, I let myself get dragged up. Almost as shockingly, I saw Nagato-san was with our SOS supermodel. What are they doing here?

"I could ask the same of you. Of course, I had a feeling we might run into you. It wouldn't feel right with one of us missing."

What is he talking about? Missing for what?

"Hmm, I thought you'd know. So does that mean you're not here for the same reasons as us? In that case, I'd say this is much too big a coincidence to ignore. Suzumiya-san has once again pulled off the impossible and gathered us together by pure chance. I'd say that's pretty amazing."

Suzumiya-san?

"Yes, Miss Nagato said she could assist me if I came here. We're standing right outside the area encompassed by the Closed Space where Miss Suzumiya and Kyon are currently held in."

Closed Space? What's going on? Where are Suzumiya-san and Kyon-kun now?

"Oh, right, well, given the urgency of the situation I'll have to give you a brief explanation, so I apologize if I leave out any details. You may recall I mentioned that Suzumiya's state of mind affects the world around her. Whenever she experiences severe stress she creates a pocket dimension we refer to as a Closed Space."

So that speech from before was a literal interpretation of Suzumiya-san's power? She really does alter the world subconsciously? I admit, I sensed some Data interference around the school, but that's normal. Although humans have yet to discover Data manipulation, Data still exists as a force completely unnoticed by the humans around it. So this must mean the current bit of Data surrounding the area was directly caused by Suzumiya-san?

"That's right. Suzumiya gave me and my colleagues our esper abilities three years ago, and it has been our duty to keep these Closed Spaces in check ever since. Unfortunately, this current Closed Space has caused us great concern."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Under normal circumstances, a Closed Space is empty, but we have reason to believe Miss Suzumiya herself is inside. She's even got our Kyon with her too. Even more strange is that neither I, nor my fellow espers can enter the Closed Space. I can still sense it, as well as Suzumiya's mind, meaning my esper powers are still active. By all means, I should be able to enter without much effort, but I simply cannot. So now you should be able to see why there is concern."

I couldn't believe I actually understood anything that was just said. If this was the brief explanation then I'm tempted to have Koizumi give me a full blown lecture on my math classes to improve my skills there. Just a few minutes ago I had no idea what was going on, and now I have all this information regarding the mysterious Organization of espers.

Wait, Kyon-kun's in there!

"Right now the school is empty, but a Closed Space resembling our school is the setting in which our Brigade Chief and her subordinate have woken up inside. Right now we're at a loss as to what to do next. Even Nagato-san is unable to bypass the space between dimensions."

Space between dimensions? You mean like temporal fault lines? I thought beings of Data wouldn't be affected by temporal spaces.

"I cannot travel between temporal space in the way humans of your time can travel between temporal planes, however, as this space is currently within the vicinity of our location in time it is possible for me to enter if I recreate the code used by Koizumi Itsuki to enter the space created by Suzumiya Haruhi."

Did Nagato just talk? I don't think I ever heard her speak beyond a single word sentence.

"However, Suzumiya Haruhi possesses the ability to create Data and manipulate it in ways beyond the understanding of even the Integrated Data Sentient Entity. Currently, I have no method of altering the Data surrounding her jurisdiction, nor am I familiar enough with her manipulation abilities to recreate a code allowing us to enter."

But why is any of this happening in the first place? What's wrong with these Closed Spaces.

"I believe Suzumiya recreated the world three years ago through the use of these Closed Spaces."

Koizumi-kun stepped in once more and gave Nagato time to pause.

"This is why us espers try to eliminate a Closed Space as soon as it appears. When Suzumiya's mood is severe enough, they become quite dangerous and could spread to engulf the entire world. Some of my colleagues believe that we are currently experiencing the worst case scenario. Suzumiya has reached her peak and no longer wishes to live in this world, so she has currently sealed herself inside. What happens next is mere speculation. There is a possibility she may only keep herself and Kyon inside there until she is in a better mood, but it is just as likely that her subconscious is preparing to destroy the world and recreate it once more."

This isn't possible though. I'm from the future. If Suzumiya-san created an alternate world I would have gone back in time to that world instead of this one. So that means we're safe right? My existence proves it's not the end of the world. What was that about Suzumiya reaching her peak though?

"Suzumiya-san creates a Closed Space when she experiences a negative reaction within her mind. Severe depression or stress only enhances these Closed Spaces. My guess is she's finally given up on us, as well as the rest of the world."

She's given up? But why? She has so much to live for. She just started this club. I know we failed to meet her criteria, but she never honestly expected us to find her wild espers and aliens lurking in the streets and the only real problem she's faced was the loss of Kyon's interest.

…I'm responsible for this aren't I?

"It's my fault."

"Hmm?"

"It's all my fault. I'm the reason Suzumiya-san has reached her limit."

"That's definitely a possibility, but if you are indeed what pushed her to the edge then you'd merely be the straw that broke the camel's back. By that logic, I suppose we're all to blame. None of us gave her a reason to stick around. The only one she took with her was Kyon."

Kyon-kun…even after everything that's happened Suzumiya still desires to be around him. She really does care for him. I'm a horrible person for interfering.

"Kyon-kun's the only one who ever made Suzumiya-san happy, and I ruined it."

I was a little disappointed that I heard no effort from anybody to say something along the lines of "No Mikuru-chan, don't blame yourself." Still, I knew it was all my fault. Kyon-kun was the last good thing in Suzumiya-san's life and I came in between her and that happiness. I wasn't a straw, I was a camel crushing sack of hay.

"So you believe it's like that then?"

Hmm?

"What you say makes sense from what we've seen. One might say that Suzumiya truly cares for [Kyon]. He's our only hope right now."

So in the end, my mission was indeed to wait here. I know that the world will be safe, but what about Suzumiya-san? What about Kyon-kun? What about my friends?

Wait, aren't we forgetting something?

"What about Nagato-san? You said she could help you."

"I am unable to manipulate the Data jurisdiction Suzumiya Haruhi has concealed herself with, but the Data surrounding the humans which have been affected by her original program is still manageable."

What does that mean?

"So does that mean you can help us get inside?" Koizumi asked.

"I cannot alter the Data created by Suzumiya Haruhi presently, but it is possible for me to temporarily use the Data surrounding the various members of the Organization under her influence."

"Is that why you asked where all of us espers were?"

"Yes."

"And this will allow us to enter the Closed Space, correct?"

"Not necessarily. I have to borrow Data from all existing espers in order to create a code powerful enough to penetrate the spacial barrier. With the assistance of the Data I borrow I will be able to grant access through Suzumiya Haruhi's Data jurisdiction to yourself only."

"That still sounds perfect. I thank you for your help Miss Nagato. You've been of great service. Now all we need to do is think of what I shall do once I'm inside."

Suzumiya-san gave up because I stole her chances of winning Kyon-kun's heart. I get the feeling anything short of that wont be enough. We need Kyon-kun to become closer to Suzumiya.

"Is that so? I guess I'd have to agree. My previous attempts at satisfying Suzumiya-san have been less than successful. If there's anyone who can accomplish this feat, it's our good friend Kyon-kun. I'll do my best to arrange for that."

"There is more."

Nagato-san opened her mouth once again.

"The Data used is insufficient. You should be able to penetrate the barrier, but it will be difficult to maintain a physical form for long."

"I see, so I only have a small window of opportunity. How long do I have?"

"Approximately three minutes. It is also possible for me to extend communications. However, a connection from the inside will be necessary in order for me to send any further messages."

"That will have to do. How do I open connections for you?"

"Turn on the computer."

I can only imagine what kind of discussions these two have previously had in order for them to talk like this. Suddenly I feel like I haven't done much at all compared to them. I can barely tell what's going on.

"Alright then, I shall do my best. Let's hope this is enough."

Koizumi stepped towards the school, upon which a large surge of Data caused me to flinch from surprise. When I opened my eyes he was gone. So this is the power of an esper…

Aside from myself was Nagato-san. From what I heard it seems none of this would have been possible without her. Koizumi and Nagato might be able to undo what I've done, but it was still my responsibility.

"I'm sorry Nagato-san, for making you work so hard."

"There's no need to apologize. Had we not chosen to take action a drastically different outcome may have resulted."

So does she know what would happen if we left those Closed Spaces unchecked?

"I have never observed behavior such as this from Suzumiya Haruhi, thus I'm not entirely certain what is possible if the affected area is left unchecked. I only know for certain of the outcome which will occur as a result of our interference."

"So you know what will happen in the future?"

"In a way. Currently my information only extends to the near future. I have yet to obtain memories from a version of myself further than a few months from now. Everything after that point is unknown to me currently."

This girl really wasn't human. I guess as a Data being it makes sense for her memories to not be limited to three dimensional space. But why would her memories stop a few months from now? Does that mean something will happen?

"The memories I have of future events indicate that this event will be resolved shortly. There is a possibility that alterations to the world will occur which my future duplicate has yet to detect, but I am at least certain that this future involves Suzumiya Haruhi and [Kyon], both having recovered from this incident without any noticeable problems."

So those two will be safe. That's reassuring I guess.

"Also…you will be present and safe in this future."

I figured I'd be fine considering my home time was also getting by just fine, but it was nice of Nagato-san to let me know anyways.

"Thank you Nagato-san."

The two of us waited for news of our esper friend to return. It should be three minutes soon. I'm sure Koizumi is doing the best he can with that time. After that it'll be all up to Kyon-kun. Only he can give Suzumiya-san the happy ending she needs.

"It's kind of like a fairy tale. Everyone's counting on the handsome prince to wake up the princess before a disaster can occur."

"Is that so?"

I guess talking time is over.

_Woosh_

Feeling a strange sensation I turned expectantly to see Koizumi had returned. Did he make that noise last time? Now I wish I had kept my eyes on that spot to see what he looked like when appearing. It reminds me of my curiosity of how I looked when time traveling.

"I did what I could. I think I got the message across, but just to be safe I did what you needed me to, Miss Nagato. Feel free to resume communications."

"Very well."

Nagato-san seemed more still than usual. Why am I just now realizing that maybe her Data communications are why she's so quiet all the time? Oh well, that's not important.

"It's all up to Kyon now. I trust in him though. If anyone can change Miss Suzumiya's mind it's him. Right?"

"Um…right."

"It's done," exclaimed Nagato.

Without a word, the alien girl began walking away, toward what I assume to be the direction of her home.

"I guess we've done all we could. How about you Miss Asahina? Are you doing alright?"

I guess by all means I'm doing just fine. I can't help but feel a little uneasy though, even if I don't know why.

"Why don't you go home and get some rest. It's getting late. I can call a ride for you if you'd like."

"That's okay, I can walk from here. Thank you."

"In that case I certainly hope to see you tomorrow. Actually, it's probably past midnight now, so it should be later today. We'll know how things went then. Good luck getting some sleep. I predict I'll have trouble getting to bed myself."

The feeling is mutual. Giving a polite bow I excused myself and headed home. I have no idea how things would work out in the end, but I guess that's the life of a time traveler. I'm no stranger to doing things without knowing the full story.

At the very least I'll get some answers in the morning. Assuming I can last until then of course.

Do your best, Kyon-kun.

* * *

><p>Somehow I managed to get some sleep before school time. I remember arriving home and noticing how late it was, but that seems to be all I did before passing out. At least that's what I assumed happened after I woke up on my couch. Normally the trek to the bed isn't this big a chore.<p>

I did my best to look presentable for school, but I was definitely in a rush to leave. Everything seemed to be alright, and I knew the world wasn't in any serious risk, but I had some close friends I want to make sure are alright.

Unfortunately I managed to get halfway to school before I realized I had no idea what class anyone was in. It's easy to forget I'm the only member of the SOS Brigade who isn't a first year. First chance I get I'm asking around so I'll know where to look whenever I have an emergency.

As tempting as it was to look around in every room I decided it was best to wait until after school where I'd know exactly where everyone was. It sure was difficult getting through the day while constantly wondering if all my fellow Brigade members would even be here today.

It was yet another typical day, and I'm quite thankful my closest friend in class Tsuruya is close to level with Suzumiya-san in terms of wild energy, otherwise the contrast with my day to day life and my activities in the SOS Brigade would give me some serious whiplash.

I wasted no time to get to the clubroom once I could, and there I found news of how last night went. Kyon-kun was there!

I was worried for both him and Suzumiya-san, but the idea of continuing my life here without getting to see Kyon-kun every weekday was especially difficult to imagine. The world will always be there, but for several hours I had no way of knowing for certain if my Kyon would return safely today. Feeling the warmth of his chest on my face was so soothing. Although it was a few seconds before I began questioning why his chest was up against my face to begin with.

How long has that been there? I seem to have tears in my eyes and inadvertently began clinging tightly to Kyon-kun. I need to pay attention more to what I say and do. After all this work everyone went through I'm already risking a repeat event. I hereby give myself a new mission: don't do anything.

"Why aren't you wearing your maid costume today?"

Oh right! Yesterday I took that outfit home to wash it (I got tea all over the apron while cleaning up). With all this mess I forgot to bring it back to school with me. On the bright side though, it was nice of Kyon to change the subject so quickly. Only someone like him can read me so well.

"Oh yeah, Asahina, do you have a star-shaped mole around here on your chest?"

When the hell did Kyon see my boob? Wait, I do have a mole there. Does he have a photographic memory and managed to study every blemish of my skin during the many occasions my cleavage was paraded for everyone? And what does he mean by star-shaped?

I decide it's best to check myself out and peek into my shirt, but it's for the purpose of double checking before answering the question only, I swear. Wait, is that a star? I've had that mole my whole life and never noticed that. What kind of robot powers is Kyon-kun hiding?

"When did you find out?"

Kyon could just give me a smirk and relaxed. This is not fair. Nobody's allowed to know my own breasts better than I am. Why'd he even bring this up anyways? We were having a perfectly good conversation about laundry just now.

"What are you two doing?"

Noooooo! Suzumiya-san walked in on me banging Kyon's still warm chest with my tiny fists. This is the exact thing I was avoiding. Why does Suzumiya have to confirm she's alright as soon as I start messing up again?

"Mikuru-chan! You're tired of maid costumes right?"

I immediately noticed a smile I hadn't seen in a while. This girl is not the same one who was here yesterday. It seems Suzumiya was in a better mood, which is definitely good, but her question, along with the bag she held, was not good news for myself.

This was how I earned my very own nurse uniform for Kyon and Suzumiya-san's pleasure. I'm beginning to hate how much I'm enjoying that last part.

"It's perfect! You look even sexier in this costume than the others! What other nice outfits can we get you to try on Mikuru-chan? Ooh, pretend to give us all checkups!"

Maybe "enjoy" isn't the right word, but this was my life now. Koizumi-kun let out his hand to us all and offered to be good friends inside the SOS Brigade, and Nagato-san herself told me she knows I'll stick around in the future. Who am I to deny an alien her memories?

If I were to go back in time and let my younger self know what future awaited her I doubt she'd be very pleased. I'm not even sure if I was pleased either. One thing's for sure though, I don't really mind this either. I guess it's okay when you get down to it.

For my remaining time in this temporal plane, I was a proud member of the SOS Brigade.

I still can't believe it's shaped like a star though…

_**Author's Notes**_

I've had it pointed out to me that I tend to switch between Japanese and English honorifics for these stories, and that's somewhat intentional. I find that neither way of speaking sounds natural 100% of the time when translating these stories, so I always just go with whichever feels less awkward for that specific(it's also why I randomly switch between British and American spellings…). I feel this is most noticeable in Mikuru's story, since she's so polite and has a very natural way of speaking that just doesn't translate well to proper English, let alone fanfiction based English.

The important thing about Mikuru for me is that she's much more complex than people assume. That's how I see it at least. Just like Haruhi's thoughts don't necessarily have to reflect her outward behavior, I get the feeling Mikuru's thoughts are much more silly and even cynical compared to what she says out loud. It's not that she's two-faced or anything, it's just that she's very sweet and polite, which means she has a tendency to keep quiet and always thinks twice about what she says to whom rather than blurting out whatever pops into her head. She thinks the same thoughts most people do, she's just too shy and timid to show it.

Mikuru is often near the bottom of the list of popular characters out of the main cast, for reasons I'll never quite understand. And the few people who do like her tend to only think how cute she is. Just like everyone else though, you really have to wonder what kind of person would do the things she does and why, which really makes her a lot more interesting than I feel anyone gives her credit for. Hopefully my version of Mikuru is more likable and makes more sense than the generic moe girl people assume she is based off her cute loli-ish looks. We should all appreciate and love our lolis though, and maybe be as cool as Mikuru is.


	11. The Woes of an Esper - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My name is Koizumi Itsuki. I'm a first year high school student, and as such, you can expect my interests to be rather commonplace. I enjoy reading, mostly mysteries and thrillers, and I partake in the occasional television viewing, especially police dramas. I also lead a fairly active lifestyle thanks to my mysterious and secret job. Yes, I'm just an ordinary high school boy.

Then again, I suppose that introduction did seem a bit unusual. Did you notice any minor details that seemed a bit out of place? Perhaps there's something I'm neglecting to mention.

Alright, I'll stop toying with everyone. It's true that my life seems to follow a certain pattern for mysteries and suspense. Try as I might, I can't hide my more suspicious qualities, no matter how ordinary I am. Hear me out though; I really am just your ordinary student.

I live a perfectly normal life with my family and friends, although that doesn't include very many people, especially recently. Due to an unexpected turn of events, I now find myself having been transferred to a new school. It's rather inconvenient, and not something I expected to endure this year, but it's important for me to make the most of it.

But wait, don't you find this a bit odd? I keep trying to insist I'm ordinary, and yet my story begins with a mysterious transfer. In all honesty though, who would consider a mere transfer of schools to be mysterious? Even then, though, I still neglected to mention the details of this mysterious transfer. Did one of my parents get a new job and have to transfer? Has my family finally saved up enough money to buy a nicer home in the suburbs? Ah, it seems I truly do have mystery written all over me don't I?

You see, despite the fact that I find my average life rather pleasant and am quite satisfied living out my mysterious fantasies through the world of fiction, I can't exactly say the thriller novel that is my life ends at the back cover of whichever story I'm reading. Though it may surprise most people, I actually have a rather dark secret.

Oh, I'm no murderer or famous thief or anything. No, my mystery is a bit less cliché than that, which I suppose I should be grateful for. Believe it or not, I actually have special powers that most ordinary humans could never dream of.

What powers could I be talking about you may ask? Well, it's nothing too special. I can't fly or shoot fireballs, at least not under ordinary circumstances. Really, most of the time my body is that of a completely normal human being. You'll find no radioactive spider DNA or cybernetic implants on me, though I'd prefer if you simply take my word for that. I've yet to find a way to prove such a claim without embarrassing myself.

I guess you could say my true power comes in the way of knowledge, as is the case for my colleagues. Yes, there's more like myself. You see, I belong to a mysterious group. I can't describe for certain what this group is for at the moment, but I promise I'll get to that later. It's kind of a long story.

Oh, and my mysterious transfer to another school was no coincidence either. Sorry if I come across as an unreliable narrator, but I swear, I'm explaining things in the most efficient way possible right now. You see, this mysterious group of mine, which we'll call The Organization for simplicities, has a very important task, and as a high school student, I'm best suited for the parts which require activity inside North High School, the school I now find myself in.

It's been pretty difficult actually. The Organization was perfectly fine keeping away from our goal up until now. These things are done best from a distance after all. Unfortunately, circumstances have changed and some strings had to be pulled in order to get me to this school long before any of us expected it to be necessary.

Ah, I just realized I forgot to mention my whereabouts. I really should keep better track of my thoughts in the middle of the day like this.

Currently, it is my first day of school at the North High School of my home town. To be honest, I'd have preferred going to a much better school. North High isn't exactly known for any academic excellence in particular, and it's not exactly situated in the most convenient of spots this town has to offer. These are sacrifices that had to be made though, and it's only a few blocks further from my home than the high school I had been attending up until now, so it's nothing I can't handle.

I was inside my homeroom class, which was Class 1-9 according to the sign above the door leading in. It was the first break between classes, and I had just been introduced to my new classmates. As expected on my first day, I had a few curious glances and questions tossed my way from friendly students wishing to know more about the new guy. I'm actually not very comfortable being surrounded by so many pretty girls asking about me, or even the many boys my own age asking if I joined any sports clubs at my old school. I could actually go for a good distraction right about now.

"Where's the transfer student?"

And right on time, the small group surrounding me turned to meet our little intruder. A girl from another class had entered the room. Her class must be nearby because the bell had just rung a minute ago.

Oh, and let's not get ahead of ourselves. This is still backstory I'm describing right now. I'm afraid the real story wont be until later. You can skip ahead if you don't care about this sort of thing. I wont mind.

Regarding the girl who entered our classroom, I learned later on that most of my class, as well as the whole school, had known the identity of this mysterious girl. As for myself, despite having never met this girl before, I knew exactly who she was, although I admit, I didn't expect to run into her so soon, let alone be called out by her before even my first lunch period.

Let me tell you a little about Suzumiya Haruhi. To most people, she has the appearance of a fairly attractive young woman. I actually wouldn't be surprised if you told me she had an entire harem of male suitors wishing to earn her company to the cinema or a day out to lunch. She had shorter hair than I expected, bouncing happily above her shoulders and kept tidy with a rather cute hair ribbon atop her head. It actually suits her surprisingly well, and it also led to a perfect image atop her neck, below which was a well shaped female figure, as evident by her girls' uniform.

This is just what most people see though. These most certainly aren't my own personal thoughts about her. I hadn't even met the girl yet, so it would be rude of me to say such glamourous things about her body like that.

As I stated though, I knew all about this Suzumiya girl, as did everyone else in The Organization. Underneath her pretty exterior lies a rather unexpected power. You see, Suzumiya Haruhi is no ordinary girl. She appeared like a typical high school girl, and aside from a few eccentricities her personality wasn't much different to other girls her age either. Even if you observed this girl her entire life until now, you'd find very little that makes her special by human standards.

Oh, but in order to understand what makes our Miss Suzumiya so special I should probably finish explaining my own abilities. You see, aside from my knowledge of this girl, one of my special abilities allows me to sense Suzumiya Haruhi's presence and mood. No, I'm not a mind reader, nor do I have the ability to sense living beings electrically like some sort of shark man. As unexciting as it sounds, as I sat in my seat that day, the only power I had that no other person in the room was capable of doing was my ability to sense Suzumiya Haruhi, and no one else.

So what makes this girl special? Why can I only sense her presence and hers alone? Well, for starters, she's the one who gave me these powers to begin with. Now wait a minute, you may recall that I specifically said I have never met this girl before, so how could she give me powers?

Suzumiya Haruhi and I have never met face to face, but I know a lot about her, sometimes more than she knows herself. Oh, and before I continue, I'd like to make it clear that I've never stalked anyone either. You see, three years ago, something rather interesting happened.

Imagine waking up to new discoveries. No, this isn't a special moral to a television serial, I mean imagine if you woke up and inexplicably knew of things you didn't before. You go to sleep like usual and arise the next day suddenly able to speak and understand German, Spanish, and Esperanto, as well as miscellaneous bank account numbers belonging to people you've never even heard of before.

It sounds unusual, but that's basically how my powers were awakened three years ago. I, as well as many others like myself, suddenly woke up knowing about this strange girl named Suzumiya Haruhi. None of us had met her before or even knew what she looked like, but we each knew who she was and what she was capable of doing.

Suzumiya Haruhi has the ability to alter reality. No, it's true! She can create and alter the world as she sees fit and has given magical abilities and newfound memories to a select few. This is the information I was reborn with, and it has changed my life since.

Oh, but we'll go more into that later. There's a more pressing matter at hands right now. As you may have guessed, I have been transferred to North High to get closer to Miss Suzumiya. The Organization has spent the last three years watching her from afar, but recently, new factions have surfaced with the intentions of observing Suzumiya Haruhi up close.

What would anyone want with a girl that can alter reality? Well the answer might or might not be dangerous. Miss Suzumiya is actually unaware of her powers. It seems harsh, but I have to say I'd prefer she be kept in the dark. I feel much safer knowing that someone with the power to alter people's biology and memories overnight is not omniscient by any means. This, unfortunately, means that it shouldn't be hard at all to manipulate her into subconsciously making less subtle changes.

People usually refer to someone with special abilities as a psychic or esper. For a young girl barely in junior high school at the time, to create espers out of nothing, this is no small feat. The Organization exists to make sure nothing unexpected or dangerous happens as a result of this intense ability of hers. If Suzumiya Haruhi's power ever fell into the wrong hands, including her own, then the entire world would be at great risk, possibly even destroyed.

This is all very complex though. To be honest, I don't understand half these matters myself. I simply woke up one day and knew of this girl who had the power to create and destroy the world, as well as the fact that me and my fellow espers were the only ones able to stop any future disasters from happening in a worst case scenario. If you're confused now, imagine how I felt waking up to that knowledge all at once.

That's a different story entirely though. Right now, after years of little to no activity in the Suzumiya department, and The Organization growing more and more widespread and secure, it seemed we had nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, that's no longer the case. In this school there now exists people who, like us, are aware of Miss Suzumiya's power, and it's my responsibility to stay in this school and make sure nothing suspicious happens, which would make me-

"Koizumi Itsuki. And who might you be?"

"My name is Suzumiya Haruhi."

Everything about this girl seemed to give an air of excitement. From the way she quickly walked across the room and posed in a way that shows off true dominance, to the vigor in her voice as she introduced herself with a sided smirk.

Of course, this girl had no need to introduce herself. I never expected to meet the very girl I've dedicated my life to in such little time. I guess you can say I should've known better though. This girl is essentially a god, so of course there's bound to be several coincidences surrounding her. It was only a matter of time before I'd finally get to meet her in person. It was actually kind of eerie looking at her up close. To think that charming face belonged to the same mystical being that changed my whole life.

"I'm captain of the SOS Brigade," she continued. "It's my job to look for unusual activity. You're a transfer student, so that makes you pretty mysterious."

And that was when I learned what this "captain" was looking for. It seems she wants me to join some group of hers, and judging by the looks she and I were receiving, it was one with a reputation.

The SOS Brigade. So far the only thing The Organization had discovered about this brigade is that it is some form of school club created by Suzumiya Haruhi. Normally I'd be celebrating the thought of Miss Suzumiya making friends and acquaintances. Why? I'll get to that in a bit. The problem lies with the fact that strange people have made their way into her club.

Of course, I'm not one to talk, being a superhuman esper sent to this school for the sole purpose of infiltrating Suzumiya's life. I'm hoping these mysterious entities prove to be no more dangerous than myself once I inevitably meet them.

Oh, but I'm not supposed to know about this brigade. To be honest, it took me a while to realize this brigade and the mysterious club were one and the same. I of course asked what this SOS Brigade was.

"Who we are isn't important. We're talking about you! If you're hiding something important you better let me now or else."

This feisty girl was Suzumiya alright. After three years I've never met her and only seen the occasional picture, with one exception, so all I knew of Miss Suzumiya's personal life came from my ability to sense her mood. It may not sound like much, but I feel I know Suzumiya better than anyone else because of this.

She was definitely the type to show off aggression and frustration, but one of the perks of my ability was knowing that this loudmouthed girl barking orders at me was actually feeling happier than she'd been in quite some time. For the past three years I've sensed every moment of depression and agony this poor girl had endured as a result of her inner struggles and everyday boredom. It was a truly saddening position I was in, knowing that somewhere out there a girl my age was more miserable than I could ever imagine.

Things have changed though. Even without my powers I can see from the look in little Haruhi's eyes that she was enjoying this little show she was putting on. Getting to interview a mysterious transfer student seems to be something she looked forward to, and for that, I'm thankful to see her slightly visible smile.

"As far as I can tell I'm perfectly normal," I lied, "but if I think of anything strange I'll be sure to let you know Miss…Suzumiya was it?"

Quite proud of my acting skills, I saw the cute young face give me a stern look, almost as if she were looking for something. Though I'm not showing it well, being this close to _the_ Suzumiya Haruhi was pretty frightening and exciting at the same time.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you, Koizumi Itsuki. You better behave!"

And with that, our miniature god being left the room, leaving my fellow classmates with an awkward silence for a bit before some of them broke the silence. Several felt the need to warn me about this girl's antics. It's actually fairly interesting what kind of stories people say about her, but I'm not one for gossip, so I'll respect Miss Suzumiya's privacy and refrain from repeating what I was told that day.

I wasn't given a clear goal, but it was a sort of unspoken expectation that I find my way into this new cirlcle of friends. The others wished for me to infiltrate this high school club and keep an eye on our mysterious new rivals, but I had other plans.

When Suzumiya is overwhelmed with negative emotions caused by her stressful or glum nature, her powers manifest themselves in our world, creating potential threats that The Organization keeps in line. Up until now this was my only real job as an esper, but there's now a new use for me. I was fortunate enough to be the same age as Suzumiya Haruhi, meaning I could enroll in her school and stay close to her in the event of an emergency. More importantly though, I could be her friend.

It sounds rather corny, I know, but these past few days, the emotions I sensed from these subconscious manifestations of Miss Suzumiya's have led me to believe this club of hers is improving her mental state. Although she's unaware of the true identities of the people surrounding her, including myself, I believe the social aspects of this club have been a great benefit.

I know very little of these new factions which have emerged recently. Some members of The Organization believe that Suzumiya is indeed a god, and it was her will which created new kinds of beings, ranging from alien entities to technologically advanced civilizations from the future. Others believe that Suzumiya is a sort of mutant, capable of feats no other human can replicate, and after three years of creating espers and pocket dimensions, she's finally attracted the attention of superior beings who would otherwise glance over this pale blue dot of the Milky Way galaxy we call Earth.

I'm not quite sure which theory I truly believe in, and there have been several. I try to keep an open mind, and my thoughts have led me to the decision that the truth of the matter is insignificant. Whether she's a god, a human anomaly, or a special code in the Matrix, Suzumiya Haruhi, to me, will always be a girl first, and like most girls her age, she's been a flurry of emotions lately. I wish to change that.

Now don't get any bright ideas. Now it's true, I find Miss Suzumiya to be a bit charming, and after hearing from my new classmates the kinds of adventures she goes on, I'm a little excited to get to know her better. If all that were at stake was the happiness of one young woman, I'd probably be doing the same as I am now, but there's more than that at hand here.

As I stated, Suzumiya Haruhi has the power to alter reality, and her mental and emotional states manifest themselves on a regular basis in ways that could cause serious trouble if not for us espers protecting the world. If Suzumiya were to become happy and more sociable, as opposed to the depressive teenager she's become in the past few years, then the entire world would benefit as well as Suzumiya herself. That's a noble cause, don't you think?

And that's why I'm here at this school. Sure, The Organization wants me here, and I'd have come either way, but I feel my goal of making sure Miss Suzumiya is not only safe, but also happy, is much more important than fighting off enemies. We don't even know if these mysterious forces are our enemies yet.

Speaking of which, I think it's about time I let the real story begin. Those mysterious forces can't remain suspenseful forever, so I should be on the lookout for them soon.

I guess the smart thing to do would be to search the school between classes, but aside from my abilities related to Miss Suzumiya, I'm just an ordinary human and wouldn't even know where to begin searching, so wandering the halls at random would probably just make me look suspicious. If Suzumiya herself saw me looking for unusual activities around school she'd probably think I were insane. She's surprisingly clever for her age you know.

This is why I decided to lie low. I have the next three years to attend at this school, so there's no rush. Besides, I believe I did well in my interview earlier. Yes, that little conversation from before made it clear that there's room in this SOS Brigade, and I was a potential new member. Why else would the great Suzumiya Haruhi come see me personally?

Because of this, it was no surprise when I was blessed with the charming smile of Miss Suzumiya once more after school. There she was, searching my classroom just as she had earlier in the morning. Whatever she has planned for me, I promise to do my best for her as well as anyone else she's become friends with. I was also a little eager to make friends of my own. This is a new school after all.

"Koizumi Itsuki was it? I'm sure you remember me from before. I discussed your unique qualities with some members of my Brigade, and it's decided that we'd like to give you a chance to join our club."

"A club you say?" I asked.

"That's right," Suzumiya continued, "but this is no ordinary club. We're the SOS Brigade. The best there is! You should feel honoured I'm even considering you."

"Well I must admit, I do feel flattered."

I really did.

"How could I possibly say no?" I replied.

"Don't get ahead of yourself though. I can't guarantee you a permanent spot. If I ever feel you're not fit for my Brigade I'll have to kick you out, got that?"

"That sounds more than fair. You are the captain after all, right?"

"That's right, and don't you forget it!"

With a lovely curve developing on her lips Miss Suzumiya welcomed me into her world. I felt honoured indeed. In a way, you might say this is what Suzumiya desired. She seemed upset and dissatisfied with her life, and now she not only has myself in her company, but a whole assortment of mysterious figures. She really is an interesting human being.

Thus begins my first day with the SOS Brigade. Suzumiya led me to our destination, which was situated in a rather old building. On this side of campus there will be little interruptions, just Suzumiya Haruhi and her own world of friends. I'm a bit alarmed she chose such an isolated spot for such a social activity, but I don't know the architecture of this school yet. Maybe this is just where all the free clubrooms are.

"Hiya!" she shouted as she barged into the clubroom, barely giving me enough time to tidy myself before I finally got to meet _them._

"Today's new transfer student from First Year Class Nine is…"

The invisible drums rolled as my cue to introduce myself rushed by.

"I'm Koizumi Itsuki. Pleased to meet you."

Inside the room were three people along with several little pieces of furniture and appliances. Does the school actually allow these sorts of things? I could've sworn the rule against hot plates was for all schools in the region.

I guess I should go over the more human side of what I saw in that room though. On top of the big table in the center was a board game. It appeared to be Othello. I love that game! On one side, controlling the white pieces was a lovely young lady. Across from her was an equally petite and charming looking young girl holding a black piece. Next to her was a handsome young man, watching the two play, presumably waiting his turn.

They seemed like a happy bunch, and I received important information on every single one of them.

Let's start with the two girls. The warrior woman of white was a Miss Asahina Mikuru. Looking at her you'd say she were the elegant pretty young girl every class seems to have. The kind who acts shy and helpless and can't seem to shake off the boys' attention. Hmm, didn't I just describe Suzumiya as having all the boys' attention earlier? I usually don't have such a one track mind, I assure you.

Miss Asahina seemed like a typical polite young woman with rose coloured cheeks and long, flowing, light brown hair, shaped perfectly for her petite body with a cute childlike demeanor, which is why few would realize that she is in actuality an agent of the future. She's a bona-fide time traveler. I can't say what time she's from or even why she's here, but it concerns Suzumiya Haruhi, which is why she is here as an undercover temporal researcher.

Across from her was the second girl. Unlike Miss Asahina, some might suspect something unusual about her upon first glance. I was aware that this girl, living under the name of Nagato Yuki, was actually an alien terminal, dubbed a TFEI class alien being. She's essentially an artificial human body controlled by an advance series of alien coding. Perhaps the fact that I knew of this is why I managed to notice her almost inhuman qualities.

Miss Nagato had short and trimmed faded hair, with yet another cute young figure that made me wonder if Miss Suzumiya was going for a sort of theme with the look of this Brigade. Though unnoticeable to those not paying attention, this alien being's body seemed to be completely still. Her small fingers did not flinch when paused midair to hold her Othello piece, nor did her all covering uniform budge one bit from her inaudible breathing. She appeared to be a mannequin capable of playing games.

Neither of these two girls are what you'd expect when hearing of time travelers and aliens, and I honestly didn't expect to see such ordinary looking high school girls represent their mysterious factions until I realized I probably look nothing like an esper warrior.

Then came the only other boy in the room. You might be wondering what he's doing here, and the answer to that question is: I'm wondering that too. His name was [Kyon], and there was absolutely nothing unusual about him at all. Just to make things clear, I requested a good portion of the research that went into these people myself, so I know for a fact there's no mysterious fourth entity observing Suzumiya Haruhi.

[Kyon] looked like the kind of guy you'd ignore, not because of how he looked, but because of the aura of not-caring coming from his direction. He had the typical dark hair and slim shape of most boys his age, but his entire face gave the impression he didn't want to be here despite him otherwise looking like a fairly nice young man. He had no special reason for being here. He was just a completely normal human, somehow having been tangled up in this club which now held an esper, an alien, a time traveler from the future, and a girl with godlike powers.

In many ways, he was the most unusual of the bunch, which is why I look forward to figuring out what it is that this ordinary boy did to get Miss Suzumiya's attention. That could be the most valuable information gained from this mission.

But, despite the mystery surrounding this group, and the fact that my descriptions of them probably make them all sound like a secret criminal organization, they seemed like ordinary high school students gathered up in a regular clubroom. I really hope no malicious intents are being hidden here, because I wish to join this lovely image of happy teenagers someday.

"So what kind of club is this?" I asked, after being given my official Brigade introduction to everyone.

"I'm glad you asked," replied Suzumiya, who has yet to let anyone but myself speak. "The goal of the SOS Brigade is to find aliens, time travelers, and espers, and befriend them all!"

Aliens, time travelers, and espers. That sounds familiar.

Around the room, everyone went quiet. They all held faces showcasing their surprise at Miss Suzumiya's exact wording. Perhaps a bit unexpectedly, [Kyon] seemed the least surprised. I'm guessing he has a more personal relationship with this club's chief member, but I did find it interesting how his shock resembled that of someone whose secret had been let out rather than one of unexpected surprise.

And so it all became clear. This was all Miss Suzumiya's intentions. Something of this scale can't be coincidental and can only be the work of someone capable of distorting reality and probability. It seems Suzumiya's subconscious had desired to meet aliens, time travelers, and espers, and that's exactly what the world gave her. She truly is the one in control here.

As expected from Miss Suzumiya.

"That will be no problem then," I said, breaking the ice spell that had been cast on us all. "I look forward to working with you guys."

Really, I'm actually pretty glad. I know nothing about these mysterious people I've just met, but I definitely know Suzumiya. If this is all her doing then I feel much better about the uncertainty of this situation. Given how this girl has endured an emotional state I can't even express with words for several years without subconsciously destroying the world completely, I think her reasoning and well being can be trusted.

In that case, there's nothing to be scared of, right? This room isn't filled with psychic monsters from outer space or technological assassins from beyond, but rather, it was filled with five young adults, all brought together through a series of unusual circumstances. I see no reason not to be friendly here.

"I'm Koizumi," I said as I offered my hand to [Kyon], who was nearest to me. "I just transferred, so I still have a lot to learn here, but it's still nice to meet you."

"Sure," he said. It was actually a relief to hear someone else speak after so long. I was worried everyone here would be too shy or anxious to say anything.

"He's Kyon," replied the voice next to mine. Kyon? Hmm, must be a nickname, as I've never heard that name before. Miss Suzumiya continued giving me a more detailed encore of her previous introduction, letting me know all about Miss Asahina and Nagato as well.

Just as I turned to greet the ladies of the room after my greeting of "Kyon", the tension of the moment was finally broken completely.

_Crash_

A loud noise thudded across the room as Miss Asahina fell from her chair. I don't know how to say this without sounding demented, but she looked kind of cute when she fell, by which I mean the image of an officer from the future had all but disappeared once it was replaced with that of a clumsy girl falling to the floor.

Wanting to be a gentleman I reached my hand out once more and offered to help the poor girl up. It would be rude of me to further her embarrassment.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"I…I'm fine…" she responded calmly as her humiliation induced blush began to stabalize. Any doubts that this girl was harmless disappeared once I held her up. I can't believe The Organization believed any of these people could be our enemies. They're all just kids, no different from myself, and as far as I can tell I'm not anyone's enemy.

Miss Asahina nervously backed away once she was back up, upon which I noticed Miss Nagato had retreated into a corner and pulled out a book. Was she shy too? These girls are harmless. I look forward to being friends with everyone here. Especially Miss Suzumiya.

"Now we have five members! The school wont be able to do anything about it. Looks like the SOS Brigade is now open for business!"

"What exactly does 'open for business' mean?"

Suzumiya and Kyon began a formal conversation about our now official club. It seems those two frequently discuss these types of business matters. Miss Suzumiya's answers were vague and made of pure excitement. She was right to say I'd feel honoured to be a part of this. I don't think I ever imagined Suzumiya Haruhi would be a part of anything so pleasant.

What an interesting club I just joined.

* * *

><p>"This is my class. If you ever have something that needs your Chief's attention you can check in here. Kyon's usually in this classroom, so consider him my secretary if I'm not around."<p>

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

After getting acquainted with everyone in the clubroom it was suggested I be given a tour around the school. I admit, it was awfully generous of Miss Suzumiya to show me everything. With all this esper business I was wondering how I'd be able to fit the task of familiarizing myself with the school in between classes. Of course, this is the same Suzumiya whose energy led to the formation of superhuman espers, so I wasn't surprised in the slightest that her tour consisted mostly of running around everywhere while she criticizes everything she meets. It's amazing how she can sound so positive when doing such an activity.

"And now we're back outside. We can head back to the clubroom now. I haven't showed you everything, but I showed you everything worth seeing. Don't bother wasting your time with the rest of the school. You're with the SOS Brigade now, so that's your number one priority."

"I promise I'll do my best Miss Suzumiya," I replied eagerly.

"It's good we have another boy too. I don't think it's a big deal for boys and girls to mingle, but I don't want someone like Kyon getting distracted, you know? Of course you know. You're a boy just like him. I expect you to be on your best behavior around Mikuru-chan and Yuki-san, got that? There will be no time for that sort of fun during SOS Brigade business."

Is she saying the only thing keeping me and Kyon from acting inappropriate is lack of free time on the schedule?

"You seem like a nice guy though," she continued," So don't do anything to change my mind or else. Any disappointing behavior from a subordinate of the SOS Brigade will be unacceptable, got that?"

"I understand clearly. You shouldn't have anything to worry about."

This conversation of ethics continued as Suzumiya and I walked up the same stairs she led me up earlier this evening. It was a good relief to see her take this club seriously. I learned that the other members are trustworthy, but it's good to see Miss Suzumiya herself is getting the full benefit of a group environment through the role of leader. She was born for this sort of thing after all.

Unfortunately, at least for Suzumiya-san, the clubroom was empty upon our return.

"Oh, they didn't stick around. Guess we took longer than I thought."

I sensed an air of slight let-down in Suzumiya's voice, but her face gave an understanding glance at the thin air that greeted us. I suppose she was having too much fun showing the new guy around to do everything she wanted to do today. There will be more room for that later. It's no secret now that I am an official member of the SOS Brigade.

"Be sure to show up here tomorrow and every day after school! Don't be late either or you'll get the death penalty!"

Unsure of how seriously I should take that last remark I simply waved goodbye after I excused myself. I had just informed Suzumiya that I should probably take care of things at my part time job, which is where I was headed now. She was left alone in the clubroom gathering her things before heading home herself.

I guess there's no point in keeping it a secret by this point. You see, my "part time job" is no ordinary job, and it is indeed related to The Organization. You're probably wondering just what it is us espers do and how we keep the world safe from Suzumiya's subconscious wrath.

I like to think of Miss Suzumiya's abilities like a pane of glass having things stacked upon it. Over time, the pressure and weight of everything begins to show signs of stress on Suzumiya. It's completely unavoidable. She's only human after all, and all humans are subject to various stressful situations in life. Even if the worst thing our young reality warper experiences is a school exam, eventually those exams will begin to stack up and cause cracks to appear on that sheet of glass.

Our job is to fix those cracks. If we do nothing about it, then those cracks will only grow larger, until eventually the entire pane can no longer sustain itself and shatters, letting all that stressful baggage stacked atop it to fall down below, and there's no telling what it will do once that happens.

For now, the only thing The Organization can do is keep track of things. By this point our intel spans the entire town easily, so that part isn't difficult. Whenever these cracks in Suzumiya's mental state appear, the espers of The Organization take action.

Oh, remember when I said my powers usually don't extend beyond being able to sense Suzumiya? Well that's only half true. Along with being aware of her mood and mentality I'm also capable of detecting Closed Spaces. What are Closed Spaces you may ask? Well I believe I previously referred to them as the cracks in the glass.

When Miss Suzumiya is under severe stress or depression, or just weary from everyday struggles, then a Closed Space appears. They're like domes of sort, encompassing space in the real world. Inside these domes exist a small pocket space of sorts identical to the one we all live in. Normal humans have no way of noticing these Closed Spaces, but when you have powers like mine they're quite impossible to miss. Being inside one is even more of a surreal experience, as the world inside Closed Spaces is completely devoid of life.

Espers have a way of making these Closed Spaces disappear, thus fixing the problem temporarily. How do we do this? Well, we'll get to that in a bit. For now, consider this scenario. Suzumiya Haruhi is capable of destroying the world without even realizing she has this ability. Because there's only so much the human mind can handle, she will inevitably have bad days as a result of her less pleasant moods. Over the past few years, these moods have only increased, which is only to be expected when you observe the emotions of a teenage girl.

I believe that Suzumiya-san has grown bored of this world. For some people, getting to experience what we consider a normal human life can be rewarding in and of itself. Suzumiya was not one of those people. She's always wanted more, but never found that something special that makes life worth living.

The question is why this is so. Miss Suzumiya can change the world, so why hasn't she done so in order to match her expectations of what life should be? This girl has the powers of a god and yet her subconscious seems to have chosen to live in the life already made for her. This is what I find most interesting about Suzumiya. She has all the power in the world, but no matter how unsettling life becomes, she never takes the easy way out, not even subconsciously.

I wonder, if I had the power to change the world, would I be able to resist changing it to better suit my mood? If I did, I'd be able to say I have the self restraint that Miss Suzumiya has. I truly feel for her and commend her on her strength.

Things have changed recently though, and I now know why. This club was a mystery up until now, but I now know exactly what is to be expected from the SOS Brigade.

_To find aliens, time travelers, and espers, and befriend them all._

Deep down, Miss Suzumiya still desires an exotic world, and although her subconscious has not forced this world into existence, she still searches eagerly for it. Unfortunately, this world she desires already exists. Right under her nose exist an alien, a time traveler, and an esper, and yet Suzumiya still hasn't accepted such a world. And I don't see why she would. A world where aliens and people from the future exist as everyday high school students? That type of world only exists in fiction, right?

That is why I walked away from North High today without the feeling of pride I would have felt otherwise for infiltrating the SOS Brigade. I didn't even infiltrate anything, I was merely fortunate enough to satisfy Miss Suzumiya's tastes and now have the good luck of having a new league of friends to meet with from now on. So what has me feeling uneasy?

For years, The Organization has wiped out all signs of these Closed Spaces that appear with Suzumiya's subconscious, but that is all we've done so far. Although we've become experts at fixing the symptoms, the disease that rages inside Suzumiya-san's mind still rages strong. Unfortunately, this disease is nothing more than everyday stress and negative emotions. How exactly does one go about curing a disease that is in actuality just an aspect of being human?

For a long time I felt like my mission as an esper was merely prolonging the inevitable. We can fix the cracks, but the weights causing them remain, and they will continue to combine and stack until even the strong will of Suzumiya Haruhi is unable to prevent a disaster from occurring.

We can't keep this up forever.

But wait, you might be thinking how good it is that Suzumiya has been in a better mood lately. She has a club now, with friends. It's true, this fact could possibly lead to stopping the problem that has me so worried. If Miss Suzumiya can learn to experience something worthwhile, something that makes her life worth living once again, then maybe the problem of her melancholic bouts of subconscious rage could be cancelled out. The origin of the problem is Suzumiya's dissatisfaction with life, which leads to boredom, as well as the wavering in her mood that follows. Without something to satisfy her, Suzumiya Haruhi is a ticking timebomb.

So this club should fix everything right? Unfortunately, that's only one possible outcome. Chances are just as likely that Suzumiya will only grow more disappointed with her life. Her goal of befriending aliens, time travelers, and espers has already been accomplished, but she does not see it yet. Even if she were told of this detail, would she even believe it? In my opinion, she's too level headed to accept such a simple solution to the problem that's been plaguing her for so long.

And that is what has me concerned. This club has raised her spirits and elevated her downed state of mind, but it has also done the same to her expectations. If we of the SOS Brigade fail to meet those expectations, the fall will be worse than anything we've experienced thus far. What happens then? I honestly don't know.

Miss Suzumiya has inadvertently put the fate of the entire world at risk with a gamble many of us would never be brave enough to take. That is why, although my job in the Organization is to observe the god we've held stable for years, my true mission, not as an esper, but as normal high school student Koizumi Itsuki, is to make sure that no matter what happens, Suzumiya Haruhi must be happy.

And it's not just the fate of the world driving me to accept this task I have given myself. I truly wish for Suzumiya-san to be happy. I feel she deserves a bit of joy in her life.

Perhaps it is this serious thought I put myself into that distracted me from the taxi pulling up next to me. I'm not sure how long it had been following me, but I didn't think much of it, because once I saw it I knew exactly who was inside.

As I said before, I excused myself from Suzumiya's company in order to go to my part time job. Inside the taxi were my coworkers, Mori Sonou and [Arakawa]. Once I confirmed this was the right taxi cab I stopped in my tracks. I've only walked a few blocks away from the school, though it felt like I had gone longer than that before being snapped back to action.

Normally I go about business on my own regarding these Closed Space matters. It's only on special occasions where I have to actually meet with my fellow Organization members like this, but given how today was the first day of my new mission, of course they'd be waiting for me after school. The rear window rolled down, revealing the elegant face of Miss Mori sitting on the far side of the back seat.

"Good evening Koizumi. It's good to see you again. Care to tell us how your first day at school went?"

"It's good to see you too Mori-san. And Arakwa-san as well."

"Hello Koizumi," responded the man in the driver's seat. "How about we give you a ride?"

"Of course. I've got a lot on my mind, so having someone to talk to would be great."

I stepped inside the cab and sat down nicely in the spot beside Miss Mori. Arakawa-san silently pressed the gas pedal and drove onward.

"So what was it like speaking with Suzumiya Haruhi in person?"

"So you've already heard of that?"

"Well you ran all over the school campus with her."

I was discussing my first day at North High with my close companions. Although I rarely got to communicate with Mori-san or Arakawa-san in a personal matter, I did feel comfortable around them. They were members of The Organization, but as people in general go they were definitely faces I could trust.

Mori-san was the unofficial spokesperson of our little group. Though The Organization has no official rankings, people just sort of ended up in their own groups with their own leaders, and Mori took that role perfectly. If any of us ever needed to speak with someone she'd be there to get that message across.

Personality-wise she was a rare blend of casual and formal. No matter how brief our meetings were, I never once saw her wear anything less than the finest business suit she could afford. I was always under the impression that even if she weren't part of The Organization she'd still be naturally drawn towards any business setting when possible. Despite this though, she was not above acting playful. I've been occasionally teased for my young age despite the fact that she didn't look much older. She could easily pose as a college student in her first year.

Driving for us was Arakawa-san. He looked much older than Mori-san or myself, but his level of respect for everyone made it easy to feel comfortable around him. Not only was he pleasant company, but he had a large assortment of skills and talents that you'd never expect. His vast array of specialties ranged from professional driving to cooking authentic French cuisine. Our little group would be incomplete without him.

"The last time we met you said it was only a matter of time before you ran into her. I hope you don't take offense in this, but we all placed bets on how long it would be before that happens."

"Is that so? And who won that little game?" I asked the young salarywoman.

"That would be me," Arakawa chimed in. "If we had bet money I would've wagered a good amount on Miss Suzumiya finding you on your first day. There would be no other way when that girl is involved."

"I found myself thinking the same thing when she first approached me. I should have expected no less from someone who managed to gather up a TFEI and future researcher."

"That's actually what we're eager to discuss the most," Mori-san resumed. "We didn't notice any hostilities, but it's still best we ask you how it went with Miss Nagato and Miss Asahina as well as your "surprise" visit from Suzumiya."

"Everything went well. They actually seemed quite nice. I'm under the impression they're no different than me, just typical teenagers who somehow got mixed up in all this."

"It may appear that way, but don't forget that you're the odd one out in this scenario. You've been given abilities and knowledge as a result of Suzumiya's power and have assumed the role of transfer student due to moral obligation. It is our job to keep Suzumiya and the world safe from any unknown threats. As far as we can tell, none of the other groups involved in this matter have shown prior signs of connection to Suzumiya or the incident three years ago like we do."

Despite the seriousness of the subject at hand, Mori-san never let her gentle smile wane from her face. Even when I disagreed with her on things, she always made it easy to discuss more complex matters. From the rear view mirror I could see Arakawa-san slowly nodding along. Although I'm arguably the most important person here due to my close proximity to Miss Suzumiya, I never once felt like the adults of our group had anything but complete control of the situation.

"As far as I can tell from the brief time I spent with them we're all here to merely observe Suzumiya up close. Given what she has accomplished in our lifetime I think it was only a matter of time before she began to attract the attention of otherworldly beings."

"That's good," sighed Mori-san. "That's definitely good. I had a good feeling that was the case, but you can never be too careful. Don't try anything too rash around them. We're still not entirely sure what they're both capable of."

"I'll proceed with caution then."

The sounds of tires on the road were all that followed for the next few moments. When I was told I was to transfer to Miss Suzumiya's high school I proposed the possibility of taking a more direct approach in our methods now that I could interact with Suzumiya-san's immediate surroundings. Arakawa-san had no major opinions, but Mori-san was a bit alarmed and urged me not to take any action without running it past everyone first.

I'm certain that Suzumiya's happiness is the most important factor in determining the fate of the world, but given that I'm just a normal boy the same age as her, I understand why Mori-san would be hesitant of whatever action she thinks I'd take in future scenarios. I decided it was best not to press the matters further.

"And what about Suzumiya herself?" Arakawa spoke once more.

"That's right. Thank you for reminding me Arakawa. Koizumi, what have you noticed so far about Suzumiya's behavior? We've yet to gather reliable information on her ever since her recent changes in activity began. I believe you said there was a lot you wished to talk about."

Mori-san was right about that. In the comfort of this little cab ride I forgot about all the thoughts racing through my head earlier. Suzumiya was definitely one of them. I of course told my company about Suzumiya's mission statement regarding aliens, time travelers, and espers.

"She said aliens, time travelers, and espers specifically?"

"Yes, in that exact order I believe."

"That's…definitely something worth your thought Koizumi. I'm afraid you've stumped me at last. I have no idea how to respond to such a revelation."

"Perhaps you've never considered the level of awareness Miss Suzumiya has, Mori," Arakawa-san interrupted, "but in case you forgot, I believe young Koizumi here proposed a theory about this sort of thing once."

Arakawa-san was always attentive and remembered everything that gets said and done between us in our little meetings, including minor observations few of us would notice without his presence. I've used him as a reference book on occasions.

"It's not exactly a theory," I explained," but rather, I suggested the possibility that Miss Suzumiya is subconsciously aware of her unique surroundings, but her more logical side assures her that aliens, time travelers, and espers simply cannot exist in this world. It could be this internal conflict which creates her more severe incidents. Up until now though, it was merely one of several possibilities."

"It's more than just a possibility now," Mori-san interjected. "Just to be safe we should work under the assumption that there are no coincidences involved and that Suzumiya is at least subconsciously aware of our presence now. Koizumi, now I'm certain that you must proceed with caution. Don't be getting too close to her so soon."

"We're here." Arakawa-san announced our destination as he pulled up to my home. Despite Mori-san's commentary begging for a response I felt it was best I didn't linger.

"Thank you for the ride you two. I promise to do my best with this."

"Good luck Koizumi. And don't neglect your studies either. You're still in high school, so don't neglect your academic life."

"I'll be sure to study hard after dinner tonight, Arakawa-san. You two take care of yourselves. I'm glad we could talk, Mori-san."

"As am I, Koizumi. I'm especially glad nothing too big has happened today regarding our rival factions. That's a good sign things will remain peaceful for now. Just be alert and let us know if anything changes, especially with Suzumiya's state."

"And if you're going to be spending more time with that Suzumiya girl and her friends you treat those ladies well."

After my last words of wisdom with my colleagues I waved them goodbye as the cab drove off. It was unfortunate our conversation was cut short, but there was at least one thing I wished to discuss that wasn't even brought up. The matter of Asahina and Nagato were taken care of, and we've discussed Miss Suzumiya previously, but I neglected to bring up the fourth variable in this equation.

Kyon remains the unusual aspect in all this. I suppose he meets the criteria of being the only normal human in our group, which technically makes him the most unique, but it's still an interesting thing to consider.

And then there's the SOS Brigade itself. Now that I know what Suzumiya's goals are for this club, I honestly wonder what kind of activities she has planned for us, if any. There are many possibilities that await me here, but before I could act, I would have to wait.

The first move had yet to be made.


	12. The Woes of an Esper - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

By my second day of school I was already dealing with more discussion from my classmates than I had been accustomed to. I always welcome a good conversation piece, but most of it stemmed from rumors already circulating that I had let myself be abducted by the dreaded Suzumiya Brigade.

"Seriously, you don't want to get involved with those people. The other day before you transferred two of those girls dressed up in bunny girl outfits and caused a big commotion outside the school."

The unspoken tradition of boys welcoming the new guy into their group of classmates who sit near each other during lunch led to me getting a few stern warnings throughout the day.

"I know a club full of bunny girls sounds like a lot of fun," said one of my new classroom friends," but that kind of stuff can get you into real trouble. Those girls are lucky they didn't get suspended. You're already building up a reputation for just talking to that Suzumiya girl. You're better off ignoring those people, Koizumi-san."

"Koizumi-kun, you don't really like getting involved with those weird girls do you?" interrupted an overly eager female classmate who sat across from me.

"That SS Brigade, what's it's called? I hear the teachers are keeping an eye on them. I overheard some of them saying they might even suspend everyone involved in that club if they ever pull off another crazy stunt. Even if you don't do anything weird yourself you could still get in trouble if Suzumiya does something against the rules."

The warnings continued throughout the lunch period. I admit, I was a bit surprised just how big a reputation the SOS Brigade has already given itself after just one or two incidents known throughout the school. To be fair though, the warnings eventually subsided and talk of Suzumiya Haruhi was rarely brought up again without reason. I'm sure most of the worse rumors were just paranoid students trying to help out a naïve new transfer student.

Even if it weren't for The Organization, I think I can tell which warnings to take seriously. It's unlikely the school would take such harsh action unless Suzumiya did something that pushes the envelope, and I doubt she'd do anything so extreme. Wearing provocative bunny girl outfits actually sounds rather tame if you asked me. It's highly inappropriate, but nothing worth suspending an entire group of students for, I don't think.

Of course, the possibility of me leaving the SOS Brigade was out of the question. Aside from my obligations as an esper of The Organization, I had already given my word to the entire club. It was unfortunate that a few of the classmates who gladly spoke to me my first two days became hesitant to allow me into their company once my official status as a Brigade member was revealed, but I was never here for them to begin with.

My real priority is Suzumiya. I wish to make Haruhi happy.

And that brings me to my first time walking to the SOS Brigade clubroom on my own. More than ever I was eager to see what the more human side of this bizarre Brigade had to show for itself. Despite hints that Miss Suzumiya was subconsciously aware of all our presence, I still haven't found signs that this paranormal detection has extended to her more conscious thoughts. As far as she knows, she has a club with five normal people in it.

Suzumiya Haruhi was well known in both junior and senior high school for her eccentric nature, but the fact that I can sense her fairly normal emotions and mental state made me think this young woman was much more tame in private.

I guess you can say I ate those words once I finally saw what would be expected of club members.

Since I'm not sure where to begin describing what awaited me in the clubroom atop the stairs I climbed twice yesterday, I think I'll start with our good leader, Miss Suzumiya, or rather, what she had in her arms. The delicate young Miss Asahina was trembling with her Brigade Chief clinging to her back while the hands of Suzumiya fondled every curve of Miss Asahina's chest.

As if this sight wasn't unexpected as it was, Miss Asahina was wearing some form of dress for some reason, exposing a rather large valley of flesh from her top. Given how everyone else in the room was behind her, it seems I'm the only one with a view of Asahina's cleavage currently. Wait, is that an apron? That's a maid costume isn't it?

Just what did I walk in on? Was I supposed to see this or not?

"Is this some sort of club activity…?" I asked

"Koizumi! You came just in time. Let's all play with Asahina! Come on!"

Suzumiya excitedly waved around without letting go of the time traveler in her clutches. Next to her was a dumbfounded Kyon, and judging by the shade of red parading across his face, I'd say he's witnessed much more than I have in the few seconds since I opened the door.

Perhaps most curiously, Miss Nagato was far in the back reading a large hardcover book. I'm tempted to check if she considers this behavior unusual or not. An ambassador of Earth may be necessary in order to explain to her that most humans would find this scene to be nothing short of insanity.

"I think I'll pass on this for now," I finally answered. "Hope you don't mind if I simply watch."

As a made my way to a seat, trying my best to keep a good smile in the event that Suzumiya expects us all to consider this as everyday behavior in the future, I set my bag down and watched the other members stand where they were. I'm a little disappointed our first group activity is one I have to sit out on, but I don't think anyone expects me to participate in such activities. I'll just wait for the less controversial ones to begin.

"Don't mind me, please continue."

Taking my invitation as a call to action, Kyon then put his energy into trying to pry Miss Suzumiya loose from the still trembling maid she continued to grope. The unbuttoned uniform that barely covered Miss Asahina was a complete mess and was a problem she immediately tended too as soon as she was freed. It doesn't take a genius to figure out she's not enjoying herself here. I wonder if she even joined this Brigade voluntarily.

The more subtle secret though was what had just occurred. I'm no master detective, and I'm probably just grasping at straws after reading too many mystery novels, but at times like this I at least pretend I've stumbled upon something most people wouldn't notice.

At the moment Kyon's hands grabbed the two girls to pry them apart I think I saw a glimpse of joy in Miss Suzumiya's already wide grin that stemmed from something other than the half naked maid girl in front of her. I think I even saw her face relax into a more gentle smile briefly as she leaned into the taller young man in the opposite direction.

I don't think of Miss Suzumiya in a romantic way. Even if I did get to know her more personally, that would be far too unprofessional. I also think it's sort of cheating when you form a relationship with someone whose mood you can sense through paranormal esper powers. My interest in Suzumiya is strictly based around my esper duties and kind nature only, and nothing else. I swear.

I guess this is why I'm glad I saw a glimmer of hope in this scene just now. A simple solution for making a teenage girl happy is to find her a nice boy to keep her company. Even if she's not looking for a boyfriend at the moment, I believe having a friend of the opposite sex can be very healthy and beneficial in many instances.

By no means am I expecting anything specific out of those two though, and I never assume I'm correct in any way, especially in matters like this. Maybe I just need to get my eyes checked, or perhaps Kyon's wearing cologne that smells like sweets and snacks. I'd be much too embarrassed if I got up to smell him just to check, so you can't prove such a fact isn't true.

Still, the two do look nice together, and I believe I sensed a bit of a sigh under Suzumiya's breath once it became apparent Kyon wasn't joining in. Neither Nagato nor myself joined in either, but it's still possible that Miss Suzumiya wishes to share her playtime and enjoyment with Kyon for reasons that might or might not be romantic.

It wouldn't even be too farfetched either. When I looked into everyone's background earlier I noticed Kyon was in the same classroom as Suzumiya, and I assume that's where the two first met since they never shared any schools or activities prior to this year. In fact, it was the beginning of this school year where Suzumiya's mood and Closed Spaces began to show more positive feedback. If the disinterested looking boy before me is the reason, it would explain everything, including why he's here.

From what little I've seen of him, [Kyon] seems to be a very laid back kind of guy. Unlike the rest of us, there's almost a 100% chance he joined this club voluntarily, and despite the red hues still lingering on his cheeks, he managed to remain surprisingly calm around the unusual spectacle before us (although the still reading Nagato-san had him beat in the calmness category).

If I had to guess, I'd say Kyon is the type of person who could be enjoying himself and not show any signs of it. His expression never showed much joy, and yet here he is, gladly partaking in club activities, as if he finds a way to mildly enjoy everything, never being let down by what life throws his way. By now it was apparent that the biggest risk to the world right now is Miss Suzumiya being let down by the life we've given her, so it would definitely be beneficial if she were to learn a thing or two from this potential boyfriend of hers.

Oh, but it's much too soon for me to be doing anything with this information. Right now it's merely a possibility. It's just as likely that Suzumiya would benefit from having a two-way schoolgirl crush with Miss Asahina, but I'm just being optimistic and pairing off Miss Suzumiya with the person I think she would benefit the most from. Not only would it be better for the world, but it might even make her happiest.

This is merely my favourite theory. If you're trying to play savvy and predict how this story ends based off my observations alone I'd recommend against such techniques.

"We're looking for mysterious events! As long as we try our best we might find one or two right under our noses!"

After that far too intimate for my liking festival, Miss Suzumiya surprisingly calmed down immediately and began our first club meeting as if nothing had happened. Actually, if they haven't had a single meeting before I joined then I guess nothing important had happened yet, so this transition isn't too unusual.

"This Saturday! Tomorrow! We'll meet outside the north station before nine in the morning!"

And thus, Suzumiya wasted no time in giving us what I hope is the first official club activity, which should form the basis of our future meetings.

"Don't be late!" she continued. "Any absentees will receive the death penalty!"

Kyon sighed and looked in my general direction with a "you've better get used to this sort of thing" look while Miss Asahina, seated in the spot furthest away from Miss Suzumiya, merely listened on with a half dazed expression. I'd be lost too if I tried to make complete sense of what Suzumiya wanted, but I learned by now to just play along and expect the unexpected from her. She brought us all together after all.

"Will we be spending all morning together?" I asked.

"We'll be at it until midnight if we have to! So be sure to bring some money or something to eat if you don't want to stop for lunch. I also want to get started as soon as we're all present, so you guys make sure to eat a big breakfast and be ready!"

"Ready for what?" Kyon said, in an almost unquestioning tone.

"Weren't you paying attention Kyon? We're going to be looking for mysterious activities around town. We have to do our best, so if you think of any bright ideas that could improve our chances, be sure to bring it up before we start. In fact, it would be best if we plan it all out now so we waste no time tomorrow morning."

"So we're just going to be wandering around and hope something mysterious happens?"

"We'll never find anything if that's the best attitude you can summon. Come on Kyon! You gotta get excited! You know how to do that right? I can show you later if we have time."

Allow me to summarize the rest of that evening, because although it felt like we spent a whole day in that clubroom, we were all gone within the hour. The meeting was quite an amusing spectacle. The Kyon/Haruhi fanboy in me was pleased to discover a large majority of the discussion was done between those two. Miss Asahina merely remained quiet in her seat and followed along with whoever was speaking at the time. She looked rather cute the way she appeared genuinely interested in what everyone had to say, even if most of it was just witty banter between our Brigade Chief and her good friend [Kyon].

Unsurprisingly, Miss Nagato remained in her seat focused on her book, but she was quick to answer every time she was spoken to, which makes me wonder what an alien's thought process must be like for her to be able to concentrate so well.

Since Kyon would usually lead Suzumiya on a tangent I was tasked with asking the actual questions regarding this future activity of ours.

"Will we be doing these searches every week?"

"Of course not! We can't just do the same thing every week! We need to be active and constantly come up with something fresh and exciting if we want to get people's attention. If we have a better way to seek out mysterious events or find something better to do with our time then we'll obviously focus our attention on that. Oh! That reminds me, we need to exchange contact information."

I guess it's a good thing I always have my cell phone with me for emergencies then. Those pop up frequently when you're an esper working for The Organization.

Miss Suzumiya began writing all our names on a piece of paper she pulled out after muttering to herself how we need a whiteboard to write on and put her home and cell numbers under her name, written out neatly at the very top of the page.

"Nobody call me unless it's an emergency. The SOS Brigade isn't a place for pointless phone calls. And always try my cell phone first. Bothering your Brigade Chief is one thing, but bothering her parents as well is just pure incompetence!"

I wonder what would be considered an emergency. Apparently this is the kind of Brigade where we wont be encouraged to interact once we're out of the school grounds. That definitely made me worry, since my initial thought was that this Brigade would make Suzumiya more social rather than her limiting our interactions with her to SOS business only.

Ironically, I think this anti-social order has made everyone else more likely to mingle. Miss Asahina hadn't spoken until it was time for us to save our contact information on each others' phones and the like.

"Um…Kyon-kun, what's your full name?"

"It's [Kyon]. Kyon's just a nickname."

"Eh? Uh…right. I knew that!"

By the time Asahina finished scribbling out the "Kyon" she wrote on the tiny piece of paper with cute patterns all over it she pulled out of her bag, Kyon had finished copying everything onto his cell phone directly with minimal effort.

"Mikuru, don't you have your phone with you? Just copy it there right away. Putting it on paper is too inefficient. What if you lose it?"

"Wah, sorry. I…I'm not good at using the phone…"

I wonder if Miss Asahina is merely inexperienced with technology of this time because cell phones are obsolete in hers, or if she's just a pen and paper kind of girl to begin with.

As Suzumiya bothered our maid with her phone inquiries I noticed no one had passed the paper to Miss Nagato, so I got up and brought it over to her.

"Here you go. You can write down your number now."

"Don't have one."

Her voice was quite sharp yet gentle, no doubt able to either send chills down your spine or warm your heart if she so pleases. More interestingly, she looked up from her book for a few seconds to look me in the eye for the first time, giving me a serious look as she adjusted her glasses. I'm amazed this is the most interaction anyone has gotten out of her thus far.

"What? Yuki-chan, how can you not have a phone?" Suzumiya exclaimed. "How are we supposed to contact you in an SOS Brigade emergency? This is serious and I'm going to need all my members present when needed!"

Miss Nagato effortlessly slid her head to the side to look at our Chief for what felt like several minutes. I almost interrupted just to break the silence before she turned back to me briefly and soon returned to her book.

"I was kidding."

"Huh? What kind of joke is that? I'll give you a 100 for effort, but you really need to work on that punchline delivery."

Finally leaving Miss Asahina to struggle with her cell phone all by herself, Miss Suzumiya spent the rest of her time getting Nagato to write out her number. The fact that she only wrote down one made me wonder many things about her.

A human being from an unknown future already accustomed to technology beyond the wildest dreams of our time. An alien entity unfamiliar with communication techniques of planet Earth. I wouldn't be surprised if these girls never used a phone in their lives. On top of this, Kyon's quick nature with getting everyone's information then stuffing them into his bag and Suzumiya's insistence that we only call her for emergencies gave me the impression that nobody in this group was of the socializing kind.

Come to think of it, I'm often too busy dealing with Closed Spaces and homework after school to ever talk to anyone unrelated to The Organization, so I suppose I fit in perfectly. If it weren't for all the aliens, time travelers, espers, and reality warpers, I'd say everyone in this little group of high school students would be perfect for each other. How many other groups can you say would dedicate so much time to merely writing down their phone information?

"Phew, got it all down."

As soon as Miss Asahina put her nice and clean phone away, Nagato slammed her book shut and began to walk toward the door. Is that how she normally leaves? Would you even count her as a member like that?

"Wow, it's later than I thought," bemoaned Miss Suzumiya. "I wanted to discuss any ideas anyone had, but I guess we'll do that when we meet tomorrow. Remember, you all better be there on time or else!"

As Kyon and I both headed for the door we both heard some clothes rustling and fumbling behind our backs.

"Come on Mikuru, I gotta show you where to put the maid outfit when you're done with it from now on. Why'd you button up?! We gotta get those clothes off again!"

"Kyaa~"

Somewhat instinctively, Kyon shut the door behind us and was left alone with only myself for company.

"I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow then. Take care," I said.

With a silent wave, I left down the stairs while Kyon lingered for a bit, apparently listening to the sounds of undressing in the clubroom. I saw him following after me shortly after, so he didn't stay too long. If the rumors like the bunny girl story are true I can only imagine the kind of things he and Miss Asahina have been through on a regular basis.

Eventually I reached my home though. There were no unexpected rides today, and even if there were, I don't think I discovered anything that needs to be repeated right away. Nevertheless, I texted a message to Mori-san that Miss Suzumiya wished for the entire Brigade to spend the morning together on Saturday.

Feelings about how Suzumiya's changes in mood and overall activity are mixed. Arakawa-san and a few others I know from The Organization believe Suzumiya is just an ordinary girl and Closed Spaces are just something to be expected. If any of us had her powers we'd be making just as many subconscious threats to the universe, as he puts it.

Mori-san was a little more down to Earth though. Even when taking Miss Suzumiya's age into account, she nevertheless insists that it would be better if Suzumiya were to find activities that made her a bit more pleasant to be around. Seeing as Mori-san herself was a teenage girl once, I believe she has good insight into this matter. The fact that Suzumiya has been creating less Closed Spaces ever since she started high school and formed the SOS Brigade can be considered proof that her former state was not optimal.

_A weekend with fellow students sounds perfect for Suzumiya. If she has a good time it would be an excellent change for us all._

This was the response my phone received from Mori-san shortly after I messaged her. Though I didn't ask it, I'm sure Mori-san was alerting other Organization members right now and arranging for a few people to be ready for keeping an eye on things tomorrow. She usually gets things done very efficiently, and The Organization has had a lot of practice following people around without actually following them for obtaining information.

Tomorrow morning I would be getting up and preparing to spend the day with other members of my club. Was it too soon to call them my friends yet? I noticed today how none of us seemed to be very social, so maybe it would be best for us all to learn how to interact with people better. We're going to be spending a lot of time together, so why not be friendly?

And of course, I had to make sure Miss Suzumiya has a good time with us all. If we let her down on our first official group activity then there's no telling what would happen.

I'm going to have to be careful what I say and do.

* * *

><p>As embarrassing as it is, I was a bit excited to be going out with a group of friends today. Even if it's for official business with the SOS Brigade and The Organization, it's still been ages since I had the free time to actually enjoy my weekend.<p>

Despite the great reach of The Organization, quite a few of us actually have esper powers, which is why it's very important for us espers to be able to get to a Closed Space in time. Usually it takes every esper possible to shut down those giant spaces of doom whenever one of the bigger ones pop up. There have been dangerous situations that arose from one or more of us being too far away from a Closed Space to get there in a reasonable time, especially if they have to travel by foot most of the time like myself.

For this reason I sometimes envy the other members of The Organization. From my interactions with the other members of my group I get the feeling the entire Organization could be made up of unofficial groupings like that, each with their own specialists. I'm sure they all have their own Mori-san at least. How else could our information network be so vast and efficient?

By no means am I complaining though. Getting to spend time outside of school with Suzumiya Haruhi is quite an honour. I look forward to having some quality time with the others too. Last night I realized how serious this mission of ours has become. No longer can us aliens, time travelrs, or espers settle for merely sitting back and observing. A new challenge has arrived.

For the first time in her life, Suzumiya Haruhi has created something through conscious human effort, and she expects nothing less than the finest we have to offer. It is the duty of all four members of the SOS Brigade to keep our Chief satisfied. Not only would it be for the good of mankind, but I predict this Brigade would become less of a chore if we keep everyone content, especially the one in charge of everything.

I can't do this alone though. I'll need the cooperation of everyone else in the Brigade. I think we could all benefit from becoming a much more close-knit group of friends. Among our ranks we have an alien entity learning how to coexist with humans, as well as a visitor from the future who probably has experienced difficulty connecting with the locals of our time.

Even the normal human Kyon doesn't appear to get out much, which makes him the powerless individual best suited for our ranks. As the only other boy in the Brigade, I feel I'm almost obligated to become friends with him at the very least, but by no means is that a bad thing.

And that is how I came to understand my new goal of uniting all the members of the SOS Brigade together. Alone we are individuals representing our separate factions, but together we're a group of sociologically impaired oddballs who could benefit greatly from each other's company. It could be fun!

This is why I left home looking my best. My mother joked about how it was too early to be going on a date after seeing me cleaned up so nicely, but I only considered that a compliment. Besides, it's just a nice jacket and necktie. I'd have to seriously question the expectations of society when that alone would be considered too much.

Perhaps more exciting though was the secret that only I was aware of. I guess it's kind of a dirty trick to hide something for so long, but I swear it hasn't been relevant until this point in time. It was concerning the destination Miss Suzumiya chose for us all. Right now I was headed for Kitaguchi Station, which was next to quite a lovely little plaza that showed off the better architectural design of this town.

More importantly though, Miss Suzumiya had arranged for us to meet at more or less the exact same spot where I first met her.

Actually, "met" might not be the right word seeing as I merely saw her from a distance. It was the first and only time I ever saw Suzumiya with my own eyes before transferring to North High.

Thinking back, it's amazing to see how little has changed. It was a little under three years ago, not long after my powers as an esper had awakened. Back then both Suzumiya and I were just junior high school students, so our lives definitely had a different flair to them, but not as much as you'd think.

First of all, at the time I was still getting used to the fact that I was now part of a secret Organization. To this day I know not of any other members as young as I am, and I was even younger back then, so I certainly felt out of place. The stress from having to deal with Closed Spaces, which I had only done a handful of times by then, was also quite strenuous.

I wont go into too much detail, but I'll just say that back then I had a tendency to wake up every morning and secretly wish the past few weeks had been nothing more than a bad dream. Interestingly enough, I believe Suzumiya wasn't much too different at the time either.

It was unusual being able to sense a girl I've never even met before. I subconsciously knew everything about her, which made it difficult going to bed on certain nights knowing this poor girl no older than myself was feeling a depression on the level of middle aged individuals experiencing a serious crisis. Then again, I was no different myself, so maybe we just tend to underestimate how much stress children deal with these days.

Wait, this isn't about adolescent depression, this about the day I first saw Suzumiya. To be honest, I had a mental image of her, but it was far too difficult to imagine a clear picture in my mind. Esper powers are like a sixth sense, and sight was not affected by them, so I didn't quite know what she looked like.

"If you'd like, you can see her right now. She's at this station somewhere as we speak."

Those are the words spoken by Arakawa-san that I will always remember. Not only were they the words that allowed me to lay eyes on Miss Suzumiya once and for all, but it was the first time anyone in The Organization ever did something just for me. It wasn't necessary for me to see this girl, who just happened to be walking around the station with her family one Summer afternoon, but my new companions took the time to check on her whereabouts and lead me to her.

On that day I was alone with Mori-san and Arakawa-san. Back then Arakawa-san took on the unofficial role of leader, being the oldest. The Mori-san of the time looked much younger, but just as lovely. She looked no older than a typical high school student, but she never mentioned any classes, neither high school nor university leveled. I never pried into her personal life enough to find out, but I'm under the impression she began her business career immediately after graduating high school, which is definitely an impressive feat and probably why she was unofficially being trained alongside me for her future role in our small sector of The Organization.

"Mori-san, why don't you find out where Miss Suzumiya is at the moment. Poor Koizumi-san here has never even seen what she looks like. I can only imagine how troubling it is not even knowing what the girl responsible for our positions even looks like."

"Yes of course. Give me one minute."

It's somewhat eerie recalling those moments. It was only a couple of years ago, and even though none of us have really changed since then, it feels like we've definitely grown and changed our group dynamics. Nowadays, Mori-san rarely has to be asked to do something for us, and Arakawa-san is almost constantly ready for what we'll be needing and tends to have things prepared ahead of time.

Back then though we were less familiar with each other and had to inform each other of a lot more things that needed to be done. By the time Mori-san was able to contact the right people on where to find Miss Suzumiya she was already boarding a train with her family.

Arakwa-san, despite looking just as much like a middle aged man as he does now, was quite energetic and well built (and still is, according to him). He once mentioned being a professional athlete in the past, but he never divulged any further information, including which sport he played in. This is how he managed to get us over to the station just in time despite being in the company of a mere middle school student and a young woman who looked like she was just learning how to get by in the real world.

When we arrived at our destination, I could sense even then that I was about to see a life changing view. From a distance, I saw as both Arakawa-san and Mori-san pointed her out to me. There I saw the young dark haired girl who created us espers, looking no different from anyone else her age.

She looked just how I pictured her, and more surprisingly, she seemed rather pleasant and happy in the company of her parents. I never told anyone, but on that day I went to bed in tears. I still don't know why, but I think it's because I felt sorry for this girl who put on a gentle child's face for everyone, but deep down felt the immense negative pressure that created distortions to the world. Just what did this poor kid have to go through to feel like that.

The encounter was brief, and once she was out of our sight, Arakawa-san informed us that our meeting was just about finished and we were free to go now. It was definitely an eye opener for me, and that was the day I stopped wishing to myself that I had never been given esper powers. It was the day I matured into the person I am today.

Since then, I've always had it in my mind that Suzumiya is just a girl. A young high school student, just like myself, and one who should be treated as such.

It's quite a miracle then, that the spot Suzumiya had chosen for the SOS Brigade was the same spot I had departed from when leaving Mori-san and Arakawa-san on that day. Perhaps I'm looking into things too much, but it's definitely a nice coincidence at the very least.

When I arrived at the familiar spot, I saw Miss Suzumiya waiting alone. I had arrived fairly early, so it was no surprise, and Suzumiya definitely looked nicer in her more casual clothing. She has an excellent eye for fashion standing there in her flowing long sleeved shirt and denim skirt. It made her seem much gentler than usual, reminding me of the young junior high school student I saw three years ago.

There will be more time for nostalgia later though. Today it was time to get things set up for the future. My duty today was to make sure we all have a good time. We were the SOS Brigade.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here already waiting, Miss Suzumiya. Good morning."

"Koizumi! Excellent timing! You sure are punctual."

With a smile I stood in my place beside our commander in chief and awaited the rest of the SOS Brigade. Our Brigade.

I hope everything goes well today.

Since I arrived almost an hour earlier than the appointed time, I had to wait a while before everyone was accounted for. Thankfully I wasn't alone. Beside me was the lovely Miss Suzumiya, waiting patiently for everyone to arrive, as well as the stoic Miss Nagato, who quickly arrived in her school uniform, looking exactly as she always does.

After less than a half hour of waiting, Miss Asahina arrived, meaning our conversations then became much livelier.

"I was a little nervous. I usually don't leave my home," began Miss Asahina. "Um, sorry, that sounded weird didn't it?"

"Not at all. I myself could use a bit more fresh air with company. Miss Suzumiya's search could even prove to be fun."

"Um…I still don't know how we're going to do that…"

"We'll talk this out once Kyon shows up!" interrupted Miss Suzumiya. "What's taking him so long?"

There was still a good while before our appointed nine o'clock meeting time, and Miss Asahina had only just arrived, but it was clear our Suzumiya was eager to begin.

"What about you Miss Nagato?" I asked, just to pass the time. "Do you go outside often with others?"

"No."

"I guess that's to be expected. Oh, not that that remark was meant to offend you or anything."

"I'm not offended."

"Are you looking forward to today's activities?"

Miss Nagato looked me in the eyes. Every time she does that it's a completely surreal experience. Not only is eye contact a rare thing for her, but it gives you a glimpse into her very human face. As a TFEI, her body is completely biological and indistinguishable from a human body born from a womb, and the eyes covered by those lenses made that all the more clear. It was a perfect sign of her own humanity in direct contrast to her alien origins.

"A little," was her answer.

"Kyon you're late!" cried the voice of our fearless leader at the last of the arrivals.

Kyon showed up with plenty of time to spare, but despite his punctuality, Miss Suzumiya seems to have instigated a punishment system where anyone who's late must buy everyone drinks. Since we all arrived early, the least early arrival is considered late.

That's a bit overkill though isn't it? We don't have to stop for drinks you know, and wouldn't it be more fair to reward us all for arriving early rather than punishing the one who excelled slightly less than the others (I don't think it had even been five minutes between Kyon and Asahina's showing up).

Although I wasn't in much of a mood for drinks, Kyon still payed for everyone as Suzumiya finished explaining exactly what we'd be doing.

"Once you find something be sure to contact the other party right away. Just make sure it's not a false alarm or anything lame. It's gotta be exciting!"

It was already decided that in order to improve our chances of finding something the Brigade will split up into two groups. Since capturing an actual alien or time traveler is out of the question (although I get the feeling Suzumiya would love to receive a gift wrapped Asahina) I would have to focus on making sure this search would be enjoyable even without ending in success.

Unfortunately, as we all drew straws to see who gets to be in which search party, I began to realize I have no idea what I was doing. I have to somehow make sure Suzumiya doesn't get upset when we fail to find paranormal activity around the town. Suddenly today's goals seem more distant than merely having fun. This is Suzumiya we're talking about. If having fun were easy for her we wouldn't even be here.

The teams were in my favour though. Kyon and Asahina are in the other team while I get to go with Suzumiya and Nagato. The alien shouldn't cause any problems unless she suddenly becomes talkative, so I should be able to think of something just fine as the day goes along.

"We're looking for anything suspicious. Look for anything or anyone that looks funny to you. And also be on the lookout for magical portals to another dimension or aliens disguised as humans."

If I took both of my teammates into an alternate Closed Space does that mean I win?

Kyon merely choked on his drink while Asahina's eyes struggled to emit a radiation that doesn't resemble confusion, but I could sense a frighteningly genuine quality to Suzumiya's requests. The way she spun the ice in her emptied glass with her straw implied she wasn't joking somehow.

"So you wish for us to find traces of aliens, time travelers, and espers with supernatural powers. I understand completely."

I wish I didn't, but I really did understand. Miss Suzumiya has long since grown weary of this world and is desperate for something that can give her a satisfying life. Normal everyday activities aren't enough for her, but we can't exactly tell her there's a mysterious Organization observing her supernatural abilities.

Somehow, I have to convince Suzumiya that failing to discover things she deems exciting is not the only way to enjoy life. If I don't think of something this Brigade will only become more and more difficult to keep going.

"It's just like you said Koizumi! You really are bright. Kyon, you could learn something from him."

Kyon glared at me with an unfortunate glance of disapproval, but all I could do was smile and nod. I'm only trying to play along and let her down gently. We can't outright deny her everything without even trying.

Suzumiya passed the check over to Kyon and prepared to leave.

"Alright then, let's go!"

Already I felt the excitement in everyone else waning. Kyon merely rolled his eyes as he pulled out his wallet while the other girls quietly followed after Suzumiya. Today was going to be more work than I thought.


	13. The Woes of an Esper - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was a beautiful morning and the station area was bustling with activity. All in all, it was a great day to spend time outdoors with classmates and friends, and there were many examples of such groups that could be spotted on occasion, all of them filled with joy of the wonderful weekend that awaited them. The group I currently attended was not one of them.

"Keep an eye out for anything unusual."

Miss Suzumiya had split up with myself and Miss Nagato as part of our search across town. [Kyon] and Miss Asahina, our fellow comrades, were off exploring the opposite direction, as determined by the god of toothpicks. You don't have to be a professional psychiatrist to know that Suzumiya wasn't too glad with the groups we ended up with.

"Search for people acting oddly, mysterious sign posts, crosswalk lines changing, that sort of thing."

Our once proud leader who was bustling with excitement when we first met had calmed down. With only myself and the silent female protagonist of the alien faction as company, Miss Suzumiya had settled for merely searching onward as the two of us followed.

Of course, it was clear that this search for paranormal activity was merely the three of us walking in a straight line. Although the goal of the SOS Brigade was to actually find aliens, time travelers, espers, and maybe a slider or two, my current goal remained to simply make sure Suzumiya remains happy once we inevitably fail to meet her standards of mystery.

"Do you really expect we'll find anything of that sort today?" I asked.

"Of course we will! There's no way we'd be spending our time out here today if there weren't a good chance of us finding something."

I was afraid she'd say something like that.

In her state of melancholy, Miss Suzumiya had seemingly convinced herself that any unusual activity out in the world was unobtainable for someone like her. In a way, she was correct. The Organization has no need for teenagers without psychic powers, the time travelers of the future likely wont accept applications from such an early point in time, and the alien cluster controlling the many TFEIs inhabiting the Earth seems to be doing just fine on its own.

For her entire life, as with most people, Suzumiya Haruhi had no choice but to live life as a normal human. Unfortunately, in her excitement, she seems to have convinced herself that there was still a possibility of beating the odds, and this club seems to have only raised her expectations.

You can hardly blame her though. Suzumiya led herself to believe that she must form a club and stimulate excitement in order to find it. In less than a few weeks she went from a lonely young girl to the leader of an unauthorized organization building a reputation as the complete opposite of normal inside school grounds, one that has drawn in an anti-social bibliophile, a cute, shy young maiden, and a mysterious transfer student of unknown origins. We even have our own down to earth, cynical yet normal guy to serve as our own Watson to the eccentric Holmes we have at the helm.

Compared to what Suzumiya's life used to be, we're the most unusual thing she's ever faced, and no doubt she only expects things to get even more out of hand. Apparently, that's the only way she knows how to have fun.

But there's plenty more ways to enjoy oneself, isn't there? Most people in the same situation would see these events as a fun way to meet new people with unique personalities, but Suzumiya has yet to settle for such a world. Right now, we'd only be a let-down compared to her final destination. We've somehow become disappointing images of ourselves who have now been raised on a pedestal far too high for any of us to continue climbing. Why settle for the milk when the cow is still up for grabs, right?

This cannot go on though, for obvious reasons. I feel the best solution to our dilemma is simple: convince Suzumiya that the search we are currently acting out on is more important than the results. It's the journey, not the destination. I'm sure many fables from cultures around the world end with similar morals, and it was now my job to deliver that same message to our new Chief.

"So what you're saying is that because we are searching for unusual activity, we will inevitably find what we are looking for," I eventually replied.

I hate to wipe away that rare smile off of Suzumiya's face, but if I at the very least need her to see there is a good chance we wont find anything. Then maybe I can persuade her to make secondary objectives. Once the possibility of failure is evident, she will no doubt find ways to turn that failure into something worth fighting for. That's the type of girl Miss Suzumiya is. We'll have a much easier time satisfying her new goals and bring out the silver lining in all this.

"What's interesting about your theory is this," I continued. "If what you say is true, then there is no chance that we would find nothing, meaning that we fill find something no matter what, even if it's not what we set out looking for. By that logic, you could say that it is our search which creates the excitement around us, correct?"

"What's with the philosophy all of a sudden?"

"No reason, I guess you could say it's just a hobby of mine. I'm only trying to start up a nice conversation."

"Well in that case, someone once told me that if you can't find excitement, you have to make it yourself."

I wonder who told her that.

"If we don't bother searching, then how can we expect to find anything? We can't just sit around and wait for nothing. We have to make it happen, and that's why we're here!"

"You've certainly put thought into this," I replied. "Allow me to propose a scenario then. Say we all chose to stay at home today and this search was never played out. In this case, any unusual activity we may have otherwise witnessed would instead go unnoticed and blend into the surroundings, thereby turning something unique and exotic into something completely ordinary. Isn't that right?"

"So you think we'll run into something out there?"

"In a way, my answer would have to be both yes and no. Our search for this activity is what gives it importance, therefore, it is our actions that managed to turn an otherwise normal activity into something that matches what we're looking for. Our very presence allows events to be as mundane or exciting as we wish."

"I see."

I can see the gears turning in Suzumiya's head. I think she rather enjoys having a sophisticated talk like this, so with any luck she'll be having fun just talking about this sort of thing and wont need to find anything to be satisfied. I know I'm certainly having fun.

"Of course, when you think about it, our search is quite unusual as well. You might say that our Brigade's activities would be considered quite strange if you asked a complete stranger."

Suzumiya bowed her head down in thought as we reached our next crosswalk. Behind us, Miss Nagato was as quiet as ever. I'm actually hoping she might join in. Alien philosophy sounds like a pretty fascinating venue, don't you think?

"However," I gave a slight pause to look at our little group before continuing," as stated before, unless someone is searching for this activity, then anything unusual will merely go unnoticed and blend in with its surroundings. Consider our current setting as an example. To an outsider we'd merely resemble ordinary high school students going for a walk. In that case, it would be impossible for any abnormal beings to notice us. One would have to assign value to our search first."

By this point Suzumiya had gone quiet as well. I was actually a bit uncomfortable speaking alone while walking in public like this. I wonder if anyone overhearing our conversation finds any of this interesting. After one more awkward pause I resumed my speech to give Miss Suzumiya more time to think.

"In a way, you could say that because, or perhaps, in spite of the fact that we are searching something that requires us to attract attention, it's possible we might never even find what we are looking for, as we ourselves appear just as ordinary and plain as everyone else from the outside."

Somewhere along the way I think my message was received by the wrong ears. Perhaps I worded everything incorrectly, or maybe Suzumiya isn't ready to accept any chance of failure with her old priorities. I truly wished for Suzumiya to learn that if we are to create our own excitement, we must do so in an inward fashion. She turned a normal group of high school students into something truly unique and fun for all those involved. If she could only see that and stop searching for excitement elsewhere, then everything would be simpler.

Unfortunately, as I continued talking I could see Suzumiya's face, with her thoughts written all over them, was soon replaced by a slight frown. Suzumiya's a smart girl though. I realized too late that perhaps she has already considered everything I just said. Perhaps she knows that she could have fun living a normal life with us all and make her own excitement closer to home. Whatever it is, it became clear that after too much silence on her behalf, she was still determined to find excitement the way she wanted, and not by my own standards as I had hoped.

Suzumiya doesn't want to have fun like everyone else. This SOS Brigade was fun, even for her, but in the end, she still wants fun that she can only call her own. Something exciting that no ordinary human could ever experience. I wish I could understand why Miss Suzumiya refuses to enjoy herself without accomplishing the impossible first, but my attempt at persuading her otherwise was clearly not working.

By now our pace had slown down. Behind us, Miss Nagato remained the same, and my ramblings seem to have only made things worse. My first personal mission was a complete flop. I guess I was foolish to think it would be so easy this early on in the game.

"I was only kidding," I said as I shrugged and tried out my best fake laugh. "I actually have no clue what kind of secrets people could be hiding or not. To be honest, I secretly wish to find something interesting myself."

For the first time I saw the look of disappointment in Suzumiya's eyes that led to three years of worrying over a girl I had never met. Seeing it up close was more than my poor heart could handle. It's possible I may have broken this poor girl's spirits rather than protect her as I had wanted.

"How long have we been walking?" she asked, ignoring my final statement.

"We are approximately 34 meters from our original location," answered Miss Nagato.

At the very least we managed to get our literature enthusiast talking once more. Maybe Nagato will have better luck with this, assuming she has anything planned at all.

"No more distractions then!" said Suzumiya, giving me one last glare before putting on a fake smile of her own. "We can't just go in a straight line, we have to be on the lookout for every nook and cranny we see. Come on, let's go this way."

Suzumiya Haruhi began to resume her role of leader. In a matter of minutes, she had completely given up on following a more predictable path. I'm guessing she no longer wished to have another uncomfortable talk from myself, which would explain why she began walking so much quicker and taking every path possible. On at least one occasion she took us in a complete circle just to avoid pausing at corners for too long.

The few times I tried speaking my words were only met with a quick change in direction. Any bits of small talk I could muster were only met with "Come on" and "This way" responses. By the end of our search it was clear I may have risked my very membership in the SOS Brigade.

"Kyon, we'll meet at noon," cried the thinning voice of Miss Suzumiya into her cell phone. "By the station from this morning again."

Miss Nagato immediately began heading back before either of us, prompting us both to play catch up instead. By the time we arrived it was still a few minutes until noon, so I expected to finally have some quiet time with the three of us simply standing around.

"I wanna have one last look around here. You two stay in case Kyon and Mikuru show up."

Without wasting a second, Miss Suzumiya left us speechless once more. The longer this day went, the worse my actions and choice of words seemed in retrospect. I never imagined anything I could say would have this much effect on the same energetic girl who recruited me into her club. Who would have thought things would turn so dark in such little time?

"Well, it seems my hopes of making Miss Suzumiya enjoy her weekend haven't gone as planned."

I spoke aloud, but as expected, the alien girl remained still and without sound. I had almost considered shutting up and cutting my losses short, but something in me kept my mouth going.

"Do you suppose this Brigade will be able to continue its care free state?"

"Changes in Suzumiya Haruhi have yet to cease. Currently she is still experiencing the surge of Data emitted from when she first began her activities with [Kyon]."

Despite only saying a mere sentence or two, it was suddenly as if Nagato had just performed a dramatic reading. For one thing, this was hardly your typical human response. Miss Nagato made no effort to hide her true objectives from me, which I suppose means she is aware that I know as much about the situation as she does.

Second, she just confirmed that [Kyon] is indeed the one who began this new behavior in Suzumiya. There was no more question of his importance now, and suddenly I was glad his affect on Miss Suzumiya was still going strong. Maybe I hadn't sabotaged myself yet.

Lastly though, Miss Nagato mentioned Data. As I recall, Data was a form of code which allowed for technology and abilities beyond normal human capabilities such as alien space and time travel. Mastery of this mysterious force is what makes Nagato special, and most likely Suzumiya as well. I certainly wouldn't mind having a better understanding of it.

"You're here to observe Miss Suzumiya, correct? More specifically, Data?"

"The Integrated Data Sentient Entity is sufficiently advanced beyond physical beings in Data manipulation, but Suzumiya Haruhi remains an enigma. She is unique. That is why I still have work here."

The Integrated Data Sentient Entity. I believe that's the name of the alien entity which created our Miss Nagato. Prior to attending North High I manged to ask for some information on the many members of the SOS Brigade, and I'm glad I can hear more than a quick summary of what little the Organization knows now if Miss Nagato plans on talking more. More surprisingly, this alien girl has just explained her secret mission to me without batting an eyelash.

"Are you allowed to be telling me this?"

"I received no instruction regarding those already informed about the anomaly created by Suzumiya Haruhi three years ago."

"That would include me?"

"Yes."

"So does that mean you wouldn't object to working together?"

"My only task is to observe. However, I will not object to any cooperative methods which could aid in this task."

I was amazed to find that it was Nagato Yuki of all people who managed to give me a pep talk. All this time I believed that neither she nor Miss Asahina were my enemies. We're all here for the same reasons. For the first time though, it was clear that this was more than that.

The three of us have been appointed with the task of observing Suzumiya, and would benefit greatly from her staying in her formerly excited state. I separated myself from the Organization as a member of Suzumiya's SOS Brigade, but these people were my co-members, meaning I should be able to not only co-exist peacefully in their company, but rely on them as well.

It was indeed foolish of me to think I could solve the matter of Suzumiya's happiness on my own. It would take all of us working together to keep our Brigade Chief satisfied, and to assist each other as needed.

"Thank you, Nagato."

"…"

The silence had returned, but I suddenly felt stronger than ever before. The Organization, The Integrated Data Sentient Entity, and the humans of future Earth. These were all powerful groups on their own, but no faction had more potential than the SOS Brigade itself. There was still hope.

"It's just you two still?" the voice of Miss Suzumiya had returned with its former tone. "Where are Kyon and Mikuru? They're late!"

I saw the same look of disappointment in Suzumiya's face, but she had once again resumed acting as she did this morning. Maybe she just needed some time alone with her thoughts. Her downed state remained, but she was once again ready to try her best for everyone.

"There they are." she said to herself once our final companions had returned.

"So, any results?"

The young man known as Kyon and his partner Asahina were as successful with their searches as our group had been. Before, I wasn't concerned about this, but after my slip up, Miss Suzumiya could only give our group the cold shoulder as she began scolding Kyon. Funny how he's the only one she openly criticizes.

After our reunion, the five of us headed into a nearby burger shop for lunch. Once everyone was present Miss Suzumiya was back to her old mood, this time assuring us all that we had to continue searching. If anything, she was now more determined. I guess I should apologize to the others if I get the chance.

Once everyone was finished eating, which didn't take long as the rest of us remained silent until it was time to depart, Miss Suzumiya brought out the same toothpicks she used before to determine teams.

Last time, Miss Nagato and Suzumiya drew unmarked toothpicks alongside myself. This time, I pulled the first toothpick and found I was once again in the unmarked three person team. As the toothpicks disappeared, Kyon and Miss Nagato were paired up and Suzumiya was left with the same brand of toothpick she and I picked last time. This time we'd be going with Miss Asahina.

I was very glad to be paired off with Asahina-san actually. My new goal as of the past hour or so was to improve relationships among the SOS Brigade so we may all work together. It's a shame I have spent little time with [Kyon] so far, but there's always next time.

Unfortunately, Suzumiya wasn't pleased with the matchups this time either. I'm guessing she's upset at once again being on the team that didn't include her favourite subordinate. Before she scolded Kyon and Miss Asahina to behave, but this time all she could do was scowl at the team which now included Nagato in Asahina's place before walking away from our table.

"We'll meet at the station by four. Find something by then."

That was all she could say before our teams split up. By the time we were outside she was already heading off in one direction. Miss Asahina and myself had no choice but to hurry after her without a proper wish of luck to the other team.

"Mikuru, what did you and Kyon do?"

The shrill voice asked us a question once we had caught up. This was not the same Suzumiya from before we chose teams. Does she really want to be on the other team that badly?

"Waa…um…we, uh, we walked by the river."

Sensing Miss Suzumiya gaining newfound anger at the thought of two of her members casually going for a stroll instead of searching as she had instructed, I stepped in to rescue our young time traveler.

"The river sounds like an excellent spot right about now. It must look lovely, but also have little people there. Any unusual activity would be fairly easy to find there."

The answer seemed to be good enough. Miss Suzumiya finally paused and looked at us both thoroughly.

"We already tried walking around," she spoke. "This time we should think of a plan and stick to one spot as well. Mikuru, if you were an alien, where would you hide?"

"Hide? Um…maybe…somewhere where there's a lot of people?"

Suzumiya could merely glare, but eventually Miss Asahina's line of thinking was used for our next destination, which was that of a shopping district.

For the most part, we merely walked around at a continuously rushed pace. Every time it seemed like we'd be stopping by a single point we were dragged away until Miss Suzumiya found a suitable spot. Most of our search was spent going from one street to another, so I'm not sure if Suzumiya even remembered her own suggestion that we stick to one spot.

"Koizumi, keep Mikuru company, I'm going in alone."

In the end Miss Suzumiya picked a single store at random and decided to investigate inside. For some odd reason, even though we could see from the entrance that she wasn't doing any shopping, Suzumiya insisted on going alone.

Luckily, it worked in my favour. I had a time traveler to befriend.

"She might be gone for a while," I said aloud. "Why don't we find a place to sit? There's actually something I wish to discuss."

The two of us found a nearby bench, which Asahina seemed to greatly appreciate as she eagerly sat herself down to rest her feet. She seemed so casual in this setting, it makes one wonder just how much she knows about what's going on regarding Suzumiya.

I thought long and hard about what to say. I had only just confirmed that Miss Nagato was willing to be my ally, so should I just take the Nagato approach and say what I want? What if time travelers are prohibited from speaking of such matters to protect the future? Come to think of it, I don't even know if I should be allowed to talk about this sort of thing. I'll just have to wing it, I suppose.

"What is it?" Asahina asked?

"Asahina-san, how much do you know about Miss Suzumiya?"

I can tell I definitely caught her off guard. The poor girl looked like a small rabbit who just realized she had taken up residence in a wolves den.

"D-do you mean…what she's like as a person?"

The poor girl gave the weakest fake smile I've seen today so far. She was obviously nervous. Maybe I shouldn't have been so abrupt.

"That's not quite what I had in mind."

The conversation seemed to take a while to get off the ground. I already learned today that getting my message across to teenage girls was not my strong suit. I should be clear, but still keep in mind this is Asahina-san after all.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure what we can discuss presently. The thing is, I've always wished to discuss certain things, but not with my usual acquaintances. I guess that's why I'm glad Miss Suzumiya has brought us all together. Does that make sense?"

My lack of social skills was becoming more apparent as the confused look grew on Miss Asahina's face, which was beginning to show a slight red hue.

"Don't worry," I assured her. "Suzumiya could return at any moment, so I'll keep this brief. I was just wondering what you had to say about Suzumiya and her more unique qualities."

"Suzumiya…Suzumiya-san is Suzumiya-san."

What a surprisingly accurate summarization of everything. Suzumiya-san is unique and impossible to explain properly.

"I'm not sure what is you've learned, Miss Asahina, but I truly believe that Suzumiya's well being and state of mind have a powerful influence on those around her. For this reason, I believe it's best we make her happy and satisfied with her life. Don't you agree?"

"Well being…? So…when Suzumiya is upset or angry…"

"It causes trouble for the rest of us."

From this brief questioning I think it's reasonable to assume Miss Asahina is well aware of how important Miss Suzumiya is and what kind of problems that girl has unwillingly created in the past. Maybe she would indeed make a good ally.

"Right now," I continued, "it may not seem like it, but Suzumiya has been enjoying herself. At least, not in a way she has before. She's begun a club and organized activities such as this. Unfortunately, this has a side effect of raising her expectations beyond that which we can deliver upon. I'm afraid even now she's showing signs of regret and disappointment."

Having to summarize the past several weeks certain put things into perspective. My old vigor was returning, but along with it the reminder of how much of the regret and disappointed I experienced was fueled by my own actions. Meanwhile, Asahina began to appear more curious about the subject matter. I can now imagine her reading future literature by a fireplace with that more serious expression of hers.

"But why is she disappointed? She doesn't really expect us to find anything does she?"

"Make no mistake, she's a bright young lady. Miss Suzumiya is well aware of how foolish it is to expect drastic results. That's probably why things are still somewhat peaceful."

Suddenly I began counting the number of days it's been since I last saw a Closed Space. In the long run, things are still peaceful, but it's easy to see the storm brewing inside Suzumiya's head. We have to prepare for this.

"However, Miss Suzumiya is still human, and humans have many subconscious desires. Although she knows her desires aren't reasonable, the lack of progress is taking its toll on her."

"So why are we discussing this then?"

Taking a good look at the young woman before me I could see her uncomfortable stance from before hadn't vanished yet. She seemed so delicate, and I doubt she was accustomed to discussions such as this one, no matter how well she could respond to my questions. One has to wonder how she became a time traveler in the first place.

"I guess I'll cut to the chase. As I explained, I believe it's best we make Suzumiya happy, but as long as she raises her expectations, it presents a serious problem. The way things are now, she might even give up on us."

"What do you mean give up?"

"To be honest, even we don't know what she'd do in such a situation. Perhaps she'll just dissolve the Brigade and go about her way. It could also be much worse though. Enough to affect the whole world."

"You believe Suzumiya-san can do something like that?"

"Indeed, we know very little of what she can do when pushed beyond her limits. What I'm trying to say with all this is that my previous exploits in trying to improve Miss Suzumiya's disposition have proven to be more difficult to pull off than I expected. Alone I am not enough it seems."

"What do you think would be enough?"

"I think it's no secret we come from different backgrounds. I truly value everyone's safety over my own personal ties though, which is why I propose that we work together from now on, not as factions brought together by Suzumiya, but as individuals who wish to bring about peace. After all, we're all part of the SOS Brigade."

"I-I don't think…I can make any promises…"

"I thought so. Well I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore. I know that you are a time traveler, just as you know about my connections with my esper Organization, correct?"

"That's classified."

"I know Miss Nagato might be willing to be our ally as well. Right now we can do little more than observe, but together, we're three individuals who wish to keep everyone safe. I'm hoping that when the time comes, I can count on you, just as I hope to be as valuable an ally to you and the rest of the Brigade. "

I'm unsure what was going on in Miss Asahina's head, but she was definitely more difficult to read than Miss Suzumiya. Unfortunately, that very same girl soon came to interrupt our discussion before I could figure out for sure what I could expect from Miss Asahina in the future.

"Lousy store managers! What the hell is wrong with those people?"

Our walk back to the station area was met with Suzumiya directing her anger outwardly once more as she recounted the tale of how she was kicked out of the clothing shop she had chosen earlier. The managers didn't take kindly to her harassing their customers. I'm honestly not sure if this is an improvement to her silent treatment. At least she's no longer upset with just us anymore.

Once we arrived at our meet-up spot though, it was once again free of that confused look on Kyon's face we've all come to expect. Our resident Earthling and Data-based life form duo was nowhere to be found. Unlike last time, Miss Suzumiya made no effort to take one last look around or buy us some more time.

I want to say I feel bad for what happened next. No one deserves to go through Suzumiya's wrath, especially not herself. I really don't think it's healthy for her to get so upset at a time like this, which is why I've tried and failed to prevent this from happening. Unfortunately, no matter how much I tried to find an excuse for my fellow SOS Brigade members, there was no hiding the fact that the remaining two were far beyond late by this point.

"You dumbass! Get your asses over here right now!"

I can't say it was pleasant standing next to the girl yelling at her phone. Needless to say, our little company of three was attracting the more-than-occasional glance from passerbies. I really wanted to prevent any incidents, but even if I had convinced Suzumiya to be more accepting of what she has and give up this imaginary search of hers it wouldn't have made up for the fact that two of her new colleagues have blown her off.

It was quite a while before the two culprits arrived. I'm not sure where they went, but Miss Nagato was sporting a new thick book for her collection and couldn't appear any happier while . Well at least this all proved that it is indeed possible to get on the alien girl's good side.

Kyon on the other hand was frantically dragging his bespectacled companion along and resembled someone who just walked on a field of heated shards of glass in order to get here on time. The entire time waiting here, Miss Suzumiya had given up on listening to anyone else and merely spent several minutes leaving messages on Kyon's cell phone. He's definitely in for quite a night when he has to listen to them all at once.

Of course, knowing Kyon how little I know him I can still tell he'll probably just delete every single one of those messages. Now would've been a good time to confess any secrets to him, Suzumiya.

The end of day meeting went about as well as you would expect. When Suzumiya wasn't berating Kyon, who was forced to buy us all drinks once again as penalty (poor Miss Nagato was just being ignored by this point), the entire Brigade was left with uncomfortable silence and shuffling.

Miss Nagato was eager to read her new book and was the first to leave. Miss Asahina on the other hand was still lingering, unsure of what to do next. After my talk with her I don't think witnessing the legendary Suzumiya Haruhi at her worst was very helpful. As for myself, I was left to witness the result of my inaction. My mission today to make sure Suzumiya was happy was a complete loss. A victory for the worshippers of misfortune is what you might classify today's resolution under.

In the end all I could do was shrug and give everyone my goodbyes. I wasn't very comfortable leaving the unpredictable Kyon with the currently unstable Suzumiya, but there was little I could do by this point other than hope things don't progress in a downward direction once more.

As I headed home I could only hang my head in shame as I sensed the great disturbance which made the latter half of today quite difficult to go through with a smile on my face.

Off in the distance, not far from where the SOS Brigade met and departed from, there was a Closed Space forming.

* * *

><p>Do you ever wonder where our harsher emotions stem from? Obviously, when one encounters a sad situation, they feel sorrow and a little bit of anger at their situation, but mankind has always been able to go beyond mere sadness.<p>

Evolution does not favour unnecessary actions. Even today, few humans would do anything without getting something in return. Even the most selfless of acts provide some form of intangible satisfaction to those that enjoy doing good. Could you say then, that the opposite were true? People driven to a life of serial crimes and doing harm upon others or their property must be getting something out of their efforts, otherwise they wouldn't risk such inconvenient punishments such as jail time.

Thus, we can say without doubt, that there exists some intangible force in our minds that people indulge in when they act out on their anger. And that is how you can prove the existence of hatred and sorrow, even to an emotionless non-humanoid.

But not everyone acts out in such an extreme matter, otherwise the whole world would be overrun with heartless murderers and sadists. What is it that sustains the darkest of our personal wraths? I suppose that question has no real answer. Everyone has their own unique outlet, a way to find relief inside our heads.

So what happens when your head begins to control things in the real world? How would you go about relieving any stress you experience after a bad day? This is the question one might ask when you think about someone like Suzumiya Haruhi.

I believe I've teased enough on this matter. Currently, you would find me inside one of the infamous Closed Spaces that cause such panic and worry. It is inside these sealed realities that Suzumiya unleashes every built up form of negative human emotion she has inside of her.

If you're curious how she does this, allow me to paint a picture for you. Imagine a giant monster, not too different from the rubber suited monsters we see in films. This creature would defy gravity and raise its immense figure up high into the sky, towering over buildings as it bathes them in an ominous blue glow.

Just what are these giant beings? What do they look like? It's hard to say really. Their overall shape resembles that of a large man, but there is certainly no confusing them for anything resembling a human. Their featureless bodies consist of a mere static-like substance, appearing as neither solid nor any other form of known matter.

These are what we call, Celestials.

When Suzumiya Haruhi is at her worst, her subconscious mind creates a parallel dimension known as a Closed Space. It is here where these Celestials exist to cause destruction, effortlessly plowing through large buildings and skyscrapers with their giant limbs while they float through the ground with ease.

If left unchecked, the Celestials would only cause more destruction, expanding the Closed Space to encompass a greater portion of our world to make room for such a need. If left to continue this way even further, the Closed Space would inevitably expand to reach the entire planet, and the world will cease to exist.

How do I know all this? Well as many now know, I am an esper, given powers and knowledge by Suzumiya Haruhi three years ago. I don't know the full details of these Closed Spaces, all I know is that on the day I was reborn as an esper, I found I knew everything that needs to be known about these giant monsters and the dangers they pose.

As for why this event occurs, well, that's still up for debate. Some might say Suzumiya subconsciously wishes to destroy the world, and whenever she's upset, her inhibitions begin to wane and she ceases to hold back her more extreme thoughts.

I don't think Suzumiya is that kind of person though. In a way, we're all the same. When someone experiences a bad situation, their mind begins to wander and succumb to the pressures of our worse feelings and mistakes.

Everyone has their own unique outlet, a way to find relief inside our heads. For Suzumiya Haruhi, these subconscious spaces, created without her knowing, are very likely the only thing keeping her from being crushed by the collected inner turmoils of everyday life.

Here lies our unfortunate dilemma. Suzumiya's Closed Spaces are a mere sign of her humanity. Without them, she'd have no outlet, and would likely succumb to less favorable actions as a substitute. However, the very same Closed Spaces that allow her to function like a normal person are what threaten to destroy the entire world.

It is this paradox that necessitates the need for us espers. We cannot prevent Closed Spaces from appearing, but we also cannot allow them to exist for too long. It is our job to sit back and allow them to form, and then step in before the damage spreads.

Under normal circumstances, I am just an ordinary human. You'll find no magical or artificial components to my body, and I behave and think like any other logical high school student would. Inside Closed Space though, that is no longer the case.

Around me is a lifeless world, one with no air or motion. In the distance, you can see giant blue beings walking the city. It is theoretically impossible for something of that size to carry its own weight, and yet it somehow stands. Despite this, the ground does not move from the colossal monsters walking about. This world is unreal.

As expected from such supernatural surroundings, my fellow espers and I also behave differently. Our bodies and minds remain unchanged, but it is here that we hold instinctual abilities we wouldn't expect to have otherwise.

In the distance, I can see red dots forming around the blue being. That is my cue. In this world, I am unable to explain how, but I can feel myself become engulfed by a powerful aura. The still ground below me disappears as my vision heightens. I am now floating and emitting powerful energy, like a fiery inferno.

I admit, this certainly sounds cool. You'd think this would be the highlight of my day whenever I go into a Closed Space, and on occasion it is. I guess you just get used to it though. To an outsider, I must not appear human. No normal human can form into a glowing sphere of destruction after all. From my perspective though, this transformation serves only as a reminder of the true issues at hand here.

I don't quite know how a Celestial works or how it is destroyed. When I and the many other espers of The Organization surround the almighty Celestials, the giant creatures begin to dissolve like cream mixed into a dark cup of coffee. Whatever this power we have is called, it is the only thing we know of that can stop a Celestial.

Truth be told, I think my esper powers can be explained as glourified flight, and there are times when I simply fly around the giants in my protective sphere without any strategy. The Celestial falls either way, so it's not like any serious effort is required. I think my companions might agree. I sometimes wonder if any of them use this temporary ability to fly high off the ground as their own outlet for stress relief.

The feeling wears thin rather quickly though. I'm no longer in junior high school, and being able to transform and fly around giant monsters like this loses its charm once you realize this could very well be my job for the rest of my life. Sooner or later, a young girl, one that I now know personally, will experience an inner struggle, and her subconscious will find no other outlet than to destroy a city on her behalf.

Any pleasure I could get from the gift of flight and firepower is lost whenever I think of Suzumiya. A human mind is an eerie thing, and us espers get to experience hers on a regular basis. I'd say it's almost impossible not to feel sympathy for her.

Before long, the Celestials will disappear and their destruction will cease. When this happens, my favourite part happens. By now I'm sure other espers feel their job is finished and they merely fly back to where they entered from, prepared for their cue to leave Closed Space. Sure enough, I saw plenty of red spheres fly off and away the second our big blue adversary was dealt with.

I take more joy in what would soon follow though. I flew back to the spot I departed from, and the giant aura of red energy began to dissolve as well as I neared the ground. Eventually, the lifeless Earth was beneath me once more, and I once again resembled an ordinary teenage boy.

Of course, the power to take off still existed in me, I just wont get to engage in air combat again until next time. Truth be told, the fight against Celestials are all a blur to me now. If I were to write a book about my adventures in Closed Space land I would no doubt be criticized for writing such boring combat scenes.

Instead, the part I look forward to was the giant crack in the sky. A powerful glow could be seen up high in the once grey and clear skies as cracks begin to form, almost as if the Closed Space were a dome made of glass and the Celestial's disappearance resulted in its shattering.

To other espers, this phenomena is likely nothing more than a sign that we would soon find ourselves in the real world and our real lives could commence once more. To me, I see it as a beautiful sight. Those cracks will quickly spread, and the Closed Space, the result of Suzumiya's depression and anger, will dissolve into nothing.

I found myself in the middle of an empty street. The sound of cars and streets nearby could be heard once more. The spectacle of light from before ended as a giant explosion of shattered space filled the sky, only to be replaced by the familiar red skies of the sun setting. The Closed Space was no more.

Typically, these Closed Spaces appear at night, when Suzumiya is dreaming. Only when she is truly upset will a Closed Space appear while she's conscious. Earlier today, the SOS Brigade went on a search, as commanded by our Brigade Chief. Now it is early evening time, and as I just witnessed, our Chief was not pleased with how her day went.

On occasion I'll run into other members of the Organization after leaving a Closed Space, both esper and non-esper. Today though, it was nothing but near silence as I walked toward the home I left this morning. The existence of today's Closed Space is more than enough summary of how things went with Miss Suzumiya and the SOS Brigade.

I had spent most of the day out and away from home, which isn't too uncommon for a young person of my age. A majority of it was spent with the people I now consider my friends. When I arrive home, I could say with complete honesty that I spent today having fun with my club activities.

I might not even be the only one to feel this way. Miss Asahina and Miss Nagato have more or less confirmed that, while they have no direct plans to work with me or The Organization in the near future, neither object to working toward a shared goal. I regret not having been able to talk to Kyon today, but there will be more chances.

I believe I should get to speak to him about esper matters very soon too. He's obviously important to Suzumiya, and that makes him important to us as well. He is a normal high school boy, but he is also a member of the SOS Brigade, and I don't plan on neglecting the club which led to Miss Suzumiya's higher spirits earlier.

Though today ended in despair for our young reality warper, I felt more relief than ever, because now I was certain that my mission was not one I'd have to undergo alone. The SOS Brigade exists so that all our members can enjoy an exciting life, and I don't think we'd make a very good club if we let our founder and leader be the only one not included.

I went home, having failed today's mission. But the Brigade is still standing, and the story is far from over.


	14. The Woes of an Esper - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was the beginning of my first full week at North High School, and I was anxious to make sure things get off to a good start. Thinking back on how this past weekend turned up, I can only begin to imagine what team of crack scientists would be necessary to list every single thing that went wrong. After a bit of cooling down from everyone involved, I was ready to get back into the game on Monday with nothing but high hopes that my past experiences will be enough to figure out where to go next.

So far not many specifics had been set in motion. I spoke with Mori-san briefly yesterday, but not much new information was exchanged. I honestly expected to be chastised for my coming closer to Miss Asahina and Miss Nagato, but all I got instead was a thumbs up and permission to continue as I've been doing. Mori-san never quite liked the idea of working with opposing factions, but given the circumstances she merely informed me that my actions were understandable.

It's actually a bit refreshing. I'm essentially being given free range now. Previously I was just one of several espers in charge of fighting giant Celestials, but now I'm practically leading the front lines and making all Suzumiya-related decisions myself. That's definitely a huge responsibility, so it's a pleasant surprise to see my way of doing things is going unopposed.

I guess the main concern now is Suzumiya. She had spent the past three years trying to swim out of the slow dream she deems reality, and this Brigade was her only outlet. Unfortunately it doesn't look like the SOS Brigade has what she's looking for, and it's obvious she's not in the best of moods anymore.

This is one of the reasons I came to the SOS Brigade clubroom so early today. The chime at the end of the school day for me was the signal to make my way up to the Old Complex as quick as possible. By the time I arrived I had nothing but an empty clubroom to greet me, minus the exception of a lone schoolgirl walking toward the chair in the corner.

The fact that Nagato Yuki had yet to sit down and pull out her book by the time I arrived meant I made great time. Miss Nagato made no sign of having been walked in on and merely sat down as I presume she always does when entering this room alone.

"Hey," I said, not expecting much. She gave me a slight turn of her head followed by an almost invisible bend at her neck, signaling her greeting. I feel I already know her well enough to know that's as much as I'm going to get before she focuses on the book that her intrusive class schedule has kept her away from for far too long.

I'll let you read quietly Nagato-san, don't worry.

I still haven't learned when the other members usually arrive though. Last time everyone was already here by the time I showed up, so I have no way of knowing who would be next to walk in through that door. Either way, I had a general idea of how I should behave around all three possible contestants, so all I had to do was wait next to our young fan of literature.

You can probably guess from my optimism that things didn't go as well as I had prepared for. I had only been a few minutes at the clubroom table before my cell phone alerted me of another text message. That sound never means good news when unexpected.

_Suzumiya Haruhi left school early. Should we have another meeting?_

I wasn't surprised at how Mori-san was able to discover such information. After three years it was almost impossible for a member of The Organization to be unable to find out Miss Suzumiya's whereabouts. The real downer was that last implication.

Last Saturday a rare Closed Space had formed during one of the most important Suzumiya-related missions in esper history. No doubt my companions were worried, but remained hopeful it wasn't serious. Evidently, though, it was enough to make Suzumiya head home early, without even attending her own club meeting.

I've got a very bad feeling about this.

My response was to wait it out though. Trying to make as little noise for the benefit of those trying to read a nice book here, I informed Mori-san that I still had one last thing to take care of before we can consider discussing a change of plans.

There was my next reason for coming to the clubroom before everyone else. Shortly after sorting out the disappointment of Suzumiya's leaving school, I was greeted by yet another familiar face who couldn't make me any happier.

"Koizumi, is there something you want to tell me about Suzumiya?"

[Kyon] had opened the door into the clubroom and immediately singled me out. He's obviously not going to waste any time today. From his tone and expression, I can only assume the other girls had already approached him for their own reasons. I guess I should expect a much more authoritative approach in his actions from now on.

Looking around I saw that Nagato had not budged from her seat, assuring me that all three of us are aware of what needs to be discussed. Nevertheless, I think it would be best if I had a thorough talk with what I hope I can call my next ally, Kyon.

It's hard to tell considering his default face seems to be that of boredom and agitation, but I get the feeling our Kyon isn't too happy with what he's been told so far. I should probably buy him a drink to lighten the mood maybe.

"Let's find someplace private," I said.

I got up from my seat and gave Miss Nagato a little wave. I received no response. I hope I didn't offend her just now.

Kyon quietly followed me down to the cafeteria, which was thankfully rather empty by now. He and I managed to get a nice quiet seat after I bought us a couple of coffees. Kyon definitely seems uneasy around me, so I hope I can make him relax, if only a small amount.

"So how much do you know?" I asked.

"That Suzumiya isn't an ordinary person I guess."

At this small table I got my first good look at the boy everyone calls Kyon. I could tell just by looking at him that he knew I had something important to say to him, and his slight scowl gave me the impression that all this business had become quite the inconvenience for him.

I already knew from our background checks that [Kyon] had no prior connections to any unusual factions. I think it's a safe bet at least that he's only recently been informed about Suzumiya. It must not be easy being three years behind everyone on information. But he knows about Suzumiya, which is definitely a good start.

"First, tell me who you really are," he asked, showing he really wanted to just cut to the chase already. "You're not gonna tell me you're an esper are you?"

And that was confirmation that Kyon is informed enough to see the irony in Suzumiya's actions and words. Another good jumping point.

"Well, there's no need to assume anything. But you are more or less correct. I am what you'd call an esper. I possess paranormal abilities."

Kyon sipped his coffee and listened to my story. He seemed tired, not just from the long day, but from hearing my story from at least two other points of view. I tried my best to explain how us espers came to exist three years ago, but the only reaction I got from him was the occasional sarcastic response of how we're probably all insane for believing this story.

Kyon is a very straightforward young man I could already tell. He's heard of multiple factions trying to explain to him the enigma that is Suzumiya Haruhi and yet every response of his shows his skepticism. I'm sure deep down he understands that our stories make complete sense. It's incredibly unlikely that everyone in the SOS Brigade would happen to share identical delusions, so one can only assume we're telling the truth, or at least, that we all believe in the same interpretation of the truth.

Unfortunately, Kyon's logical side is proving to be very stubborn. Despite what his intuition is telling him, he simply cannot accept that aliens, time travelers, and even espers can exist without any proper proof or explanation. No matter how much sense it makes, he's not going to invest any of his attention in us unless he knows it wont go to waste. I guess I can appreciate that serious side of his. It had a familiar air about it.

"When do you think the world began its existence?" I asked, hoping I could put things into perspective.

"It all started with the Big Bang didn't it?"

"That's what's being said now, but consider that we have another possibility- that this world came into existence three years ago."

"What? That's impossible! I can still remember clearly what happened three years ago. And besides, my parents are still alive. I've got stitches from when I was younger, and how do you explain the things in history textbooks I've been memorizing like hell?"

[Kyon], I like your kind of answers, which is exactly why our cause needs a thinker like yourself. Kyon doesn't rely on mere common sense. He doesn't just assume my theory is insane because reality says so. He gives examples from his own life, using only what he knows as fact. He knows his own memories, and the things he's read, and that's how he forms opinions. If I could change that knowledge in his head, he'd be a great ally.

"Consider the fact that humans could simply be born with predetermined memories," I replied. "It would be like a virtual reality. Every bit of information wired into our brain provides us with memories of sights and sounds that we remember vividly, but who's to say any of it ever really happened. By that logic, we could say the world was created as a false reality from scratch no more than five minutes ago."

The uncomfortable silence that followed my proposed theory showed me that Kyon doesn't quite enjoy the notion of a world outside of what he considers the norm, but with luck he now understands how the logic we take for granted is by no means guaranteed.

"Alright…let's say I agree with what you just said."

My slightly confused companion was calmly trying to get to the meat of our discussion. He's definitely done this before. Now hopefully I can give him an idea of how everything truly works around here.

"It doesn't matter if the world was formed three years ago or five minutes ago," he continued. "What exactly does your 'Organization's' existence have to do with Haruhi?"

"Basically, the Organization was formed under the belief that this world is something like a person's dream. It functions just like a dream at least, where this one person can create and alter this reality like clockwork. And we all know who this person is."

The lips on the person in front of me quietly mouthed out another "Haruhi", but no objections were made before I could continue.

"Humans usually refer to something that can create and destroy at will as God, and this is why this Organization is so thorough and careful. If this "God" grows displeased with the world, then she could simply destroy it and replace it with a new one. To her, it would be as simple as a child demolishing one sand castle so they may build a better one.

"Of course, even though this world is far from perfect and full of many conflicts, I believe there is still some good in this world that makes it worth living. That is why I at least work hard in this Organization to keep the world safe."

"Well then why don't you just take this to Haruhi directly? If you tell her to stop destroying the world I'm sure she'll listen."

"Of course Suzumiya doesn't know any of this. Our job is to make sure she never does and can live her life peacefully, and the rest of the world as well. Right now, she's more like an incomplete god, unable to completely control the world at will. But even then, there are signs of her power here."

"How do you know?"

How do I know? That's certainly a fairly meta question. Suzumiya Haruhi created us espers three years ago and is forever at risk of accidentally destroying the world. It's very likely that this power of hers led to the world being replaced to the one we live in now. One where espers, time travelers, and aliens can all exist without anyone knowing.

It is Suzumiya's subconscious signs of power that lead to the ridiculously improbably event of a club being formed which contains myself as well as Asahina Mikuru and Nagato Yuki. There can be little doubt right now that Miss Suzumiya's will has a strong influence, and her satisfaction with our world is of the utmost importance if that power were to ever turn on us, or even herself.

"So am I the only outsider here?"

"Not quite," I assured him. "For us, you're the real mystery. I hope you don't mind, but I did a few background checks on you. I can assure you, you're just an ordinary human with no powers so to speak. I'm not too sure of your role here, but the fate of the world could very well rest in your hands, so please be careful not to let Suzumiya-san feel any despair."

"If you think Haruhi is God, why not just abduct her and perform an autopsy on her brain. You might even learn the secret of the universe!"

I wish I could display such glourious sarcasm during such a crucial discussion. Then again, this could just be evidence that Kyon still doesn't quite understand what kind of special role Haruhi has in the universe. I can honestly say I never liked when people treat Haruhi like some sort of mythological species that needs to be studied.

"While there do exist some extremists in the Oranization who think in such a way…the majority of us think it's best to leave her alone. Think of it more like this, if God becomes unhappy because of something we do, a large catastrophe is likely to occur. We'd like for the world to remain as is, so naturally, we'd prefer it if Miss Suzumiya can live out her life peacefully. "

Always a fickle one to read, Kyon merely stared at his coffee once I finished. To most people, Suzumiya is indeed a god, or a virtual reality, or just an experiment on the secrets of life. But to people like us, the people of the SOS Brigade, what matters most is making sure the world, and especially Suzumiya, are safe.

I only hope Kyon understands the importance of all this, even if he doesn't quite believe me.

"You said you had paranormal powers?" he asked.

"Not precisely, but more or less, you are correct."

"Then show me your powers. I might believe you then. How about you make this coffee warm again."

If I could I'd make a fountain of hot coffee pour into your cup, Kyon. I can tell this boy is a good person. He has an open mind, and knows how to be serious, but he can also think for himself, and he sure knows how to lighten up the mood.

"Under normal circumstances, I have no powers, so to speak."

My powers are not so simple, and Kyon's humourous request will have to be ignored for now. If he plans on keeping his word though, I'll do what I can to prove everything.

"I'm sorry for taking your time," I said, after letting him down and whatever expectations he had on how esper powers worked. "I guess I'll go home now."

That was all I could say before going. I doubt I could make any more progress here. It seems Kyon is willing to give me a chance. He seems important in all this. We know he has a part in Miss Suzumiya's recent moods, so it's important I earn his trust as soon as possible.

I honestly don't know how things will turn out now. This talk with Kyon hadn't completely distracted me from the fact that the SOS Brigade clubroom saw no sign of Suzumiya today. I had hoped she might at least try to keep going, but it seems her latest mood had affected her more than usual.

I think Kyon is the reason.

Everyone, including myself, had come to him because of his importance. He had pushed Suzumiya-san into a new stage in life, but our Brigade could not follow her as she wished. Kyon had made her happier, but if we lose this momentum, things will only get worse.

I honestly can't tell if I should be grateful or upset at this new change, but I suppose things weren't getting much better before.

I did what I can today. I'll have to just sit back and wait now. Suzumiya's mood, Kyon's cooperation, all I can do is wait for my next chance to improve things on both fronts.

"Good afternoon, Koizumi. I see you're deep in thought as always."

On my way out of the school grounds I saw none other than the elegant man known as [Arakawa]. His cab waited by the curb for us to enter, though there was no sign of Mori-san or anyone else inside. Don't tell me this cab is going to become my own personal limo service now, is it?

"Mori asked me to check up on you while we were nearby. You two already spoke on the phone, correct?"

Texting counts as speaking on a phone I suppose. I guess Mori-san was eager to find out what this unfinished business I had to take care of was. Without word I nodded my head and entered the car Arakawa-san had prepared for us.

I don't think I've ever sat in the front with him. I certainly feel more like an adult in The Organization than I have before. It's like we're real secret agents now.

Inside the vehicle Arakawa-san began driving and started our new briefing without hesitation.

"She wont admit it, but she's a bit worried. I assured her you know what you're doing, but she did ask you to run things by us first, you know."

"That's true. I was planning to apologize when we met in person, but I guess that will have to wait until next time."

"That would be nice, but I don't think she's upset with you. Given the circumstances, I think talking with Miss Asahina and Miss Nagato is our best chance. I don't think our old way of doing things is working anymore."

"Unfortunately, I agree," I agreed. "Suzumiya-san didn't even come to her club meeting today, as I'm sure you heard."

"She seems to have gone straight home. That poor girl. I'm sure you've got some idea on how to help her, but it wont be easy if she's beginning to seclude herself."

"I think she just needs time. In the meantime, this is the perfect opportunity to arrange for her return to the SOS Brigade. I was actually approached by [Kyon] today."

"_He_ approached _you_?"

Arakawa-san's body did not flinch at all despite his voice attempting to demonstrate shock for me. I guess it was only expected we'd get involved with Kyon as well.

"I told him the basics. He seems to know all about the time travelers, and the TFEIs, and now he has a general understanding of what The Organization does. He seems to have everyone telling him secrets lately."

"I'll tell Mori about this. I'm sure she had a feeling this would happen soon. The name [Kyon] had been popping up quite a bit, even before you took the initiative. You're also getting to be quite the important young man yourself, you know."

"I'm just barely in high school. I'd say I have a lot left to learn."

"Suzumiya Haruhi was only in middle school when all this began. It's clear that an old man like myself wont be able to keep up with you younger people for much longer."

Arakawa-san's ended his comments with a slight chuckle. I'm sure his job isn't easy, always working in the backbone of the Organization, never the face, like I seem to be representing more and more. I considered making some more small talk with him, but the mysterious past of my fellow Organization members would have to wait. The two of us remained mostly silent until we pulled up to my street.

"Thank you for the ride, Arakawa-san," I said once I had gotten onto the sidewalk once more.

"Do your best Koizumi, and don't worry. You can always count on us."

Giving his cheesiest smile and salute, Arakawa-san drove off into the distance. I honestly can't say I'd get very far without people like him and Mori-san on my side. And with luck I'd be adding more people and aliens to my web of trust soon. Suzumiya was still recovering, and we'll have to be ready for when our next actions are needed.

* * *

><p>The next day was…quite troubling.<p>

Shortly after 11 AM, a Closed Space had appeared. School had already started, but it appears the classroom environment wasn't helping Suzumiya much at all. Whatever is troubling her, it hasn't gotten any better.

The entire day I struggled to decide which course of action would be best, go to the SOS Brigade clubroom, or deal with the Closed Space. Given recent events, this new set of Celestials could be more erratic than usual. We'd need to utilize all espers possible. Still, to leave Suzumiya at a time like this would be counter-intuitive, don't you think?

I decided it would be best to at least check up on the SOS Brigade first before excusing myself. On my way up the stairs though, my worries were confirmed once my phone made the last noise I wanted to hear. I had received another message from Mori-san.

_Suzumiya Haruhi went straight home again. We will meet you when you're finished._

This was no request like last time. I am to take care of the Closed Space problem and then speak with my group. Things are definitely going from bad to worse, and I could sense it growing stronger.

Deciding not to alarm any other members, I still took the time to knock on the clubroom door and excuse myself to anyone present. Greeting me was the young Asahina Mikuru. She seemed to be enjoying herself. Evidently, things are going just fine on her front. Miss Nagato was quietly off to the side as usual.

I had yet to speak with either of them since our short talks over the weekend, and I saw what I hoped was a glimmer of curiosity in Miss Asahina's eye, wondering if we should resume where we left off now that we were alone again, but there were more urgent matters. As far as I can tell, she's just a normal human following orders, no different than Kyon. I can't let them both worry before I see the damage myself.

As painful as it was, I had to quickly excuse myself from the lovely sight of the innocently oblivious Asahina-san. After informing her I had work to do and giving a nod over to the corner by the bookshelf, I left both girls alone in the clubroom and headed toward the area of disturbance as quickly as I could.

Surely enough, the Celestials were quite wild today. Once again, it was rare for me to interact with anyone once inside Closed Space, but that evening, all us espers had to synchronize perfectly to take out the larger, more powerful Celestials that arise from Suzumiya's worse moods.

It felt like I was fighting for days, but before long, the grey skies of Closed Space were replace with the brighter oranges and reds from the real world's setting sun. I wouldn't have been surprised if night had fallen in the time it took to take care of this space problem

And now for the more suspenseful part.

With the battle over, I found myself walking toward a rather specific spot. I wasn't told to go there, but after yet another destruction of Closed Space, I found myself close to the small park where I would occasionally meet my fellow Organization members.

Whenever no further instructions were given, this park was often a good place to meet. It was neither too public nor too secluded to avoid suspicion. If anyone were to overhear us by any chance out here, they'd be very unlikely to take us any bit seriously.

Not far from here was the same station where I first saw Suzumiya Haruhi, and also where the SOS Brigade held its first weekend activity, where everything began to go downhill. I had rushed here earlier, but now that the Closed Space was dealt with no less than a few minutes ago, I had let myself slow my pace down a bit. Today was proving quite tiring already after all.

It was still not long before I saw my fellow members waiting for me. There, seated and standing around a small park bench were Arakawa and Mori-san. They weren't alone though. It had been a while since I met anyone else in the Organization directly, but when I did, it was often the Tamaru brothers.

Tamaru Keiichi was the oldest of the two men standing besides my other two colleagues. Like the others, I knew little about his personal life, but I never really bothered to ask. None of these people delved much into my personal life either.

Keiichi was an older man, though he seemed younger than Arakawa-san. I've seen him wear a police uniform before, though I'm not sure if that's his real job. I'm quite sure he's done his fair share of physical tasks for the Organization. Despite not being the oldest of our group, he never hesitated to call himself an old man. What little interaction I had with him was usually pleasant.

Next to him was Tamaru Yutaka, the younger of the Tamaru brothers. Though he was probably no younger than Mori-san, he would rarely show any form of authority over anyone, as evident by his casually being the first to greet me.

"Koizumi-san! Long time no see. I hear you've been busy!"

With a slight chuckle, the older brother joined in the greetings as well.

"It sure is good to see you, Koizumi. I'd love to catch up, but I'm afraid we have business to attend to. Isn't that right you two?"

Without a chance to greet the kind men who welcomed me, everyone's attention was brought to the much more serious looking pair of Arakawa-san and Mori-san. Mori was often the one to lead a discussion, but the sight I saw would imply otherwise.

Dressed in her usual business suit, Mori-san was sitting alone on her park bench looking rather solemn. I've no doubt she's been far too busy to keep up a smile for our sakes. Off to her side, Arakawa-san was giving me one of his rare serious faces, the kind that let me and the second pair next to me all know that today's matters were much more important than usual.

"Gentlemen, let's not crowd Koizumi. I'm sure he's had a busy day, like the rest of us." Arakawa-san looked strict now, but his voice was as gentle as ever. We could always trust him to keep things under control. "Mori-san, if you will."

Almost as if snapped from a trance, Mori-san looked up at all of us and began speaking without hesitation.

"Everyone, I'm afraid things are not looking well for us all. Organization members everywhere are beginning to worry about recent events, and it's easy to understand why. Koizumi, you can confirm for us all that Suzumiya Haruhi has not been attending her club activities this week, correct?"

I nodded with my answer.

"On top of everything, we've now experienced yet another Closed Space, so quickly after the last one. Miss Suzumiya is spending as little time at school as possible, and though the week has just begun, we're beginning to see signs of her regressing. I'm afraid this could be what the Organization has feared the most."

"But she's just a girl. What could possibly have caused such a sudden change like this?" asked Keiichi, who evidently wished to return to the previous casual tone he and I had with his brother.

"It seems she was not satisfied with the results of her club activities this past weekend. I'm sure many of us have our own theories for why this has such a great effect on her, but I believe we should ask Koizumi first. He has been spending time with her and now has insight into her personal life and behavior after all."

Very quickly, all eyes were on me now. Everyone was likely informed of the general happenings going on around us, but it was time I gave my own thoughts on what was happening precisely. I've been waiting for this opportunity.

"Thank you, Mori-san," I said politely. "If that's the case, I'd like to propose something I've been hinting toward for some time now. Suzumiya Haruhi has the power to alter the world, correct? To her, this could be nothing more than a dream, and that is why we're here. If Suzumiya were to grow dissatisfied with the world, she could systematically replace it with a new one and be none the wiser of it herself.

"I believe our problem lies in her own expectations. Seeing her firsthand makes it simple to see that she is entirely serious about her search for aliens, time travelers, and even espers. Unfortunately, despite having formed a club that satisfies all those requirements, she herself is not satisfied."

"Koizumi, are you implying what I think you're implying?"

Arakawa-san, still looking as serious as before, had interrupted me with one of his rare insights.

"I know Suzumiya is feeling troubled," he continued," and her abilities turn her emotions into potential threats to the safety of the world, but we've always been optimistic that there was hope. Don't tell me you now feel it is inevitable she may grow dissatisfied with everything and do something unthinkable. That's a bit unlike you."

"I'm still optimistic," I said, "but unfortunately it looks like Suzumiya-san is searching for a kind of excitement that simply does not exist in this world. If she continues to search for it, her subconscious may very well realize someday that the only way to accomplish this is to replace the world altogether."

"And it appears that day is looming closer," Mori-san added. "I fear that some parts of the Organization will grow more desperate. Our current actions are providing few results. Even less of them are positive ones. I think we need to accept the fact that Suzumiya Haruhi is not the most reasonable of people to be given these powers."

I remember often hearing about the more extreme ideas behind the Organization, and the last thing I'd like would be for drastic measures to be taken. Suzumiya is still a human being, and a young one at that. I still felt the need to protect her.

"I think we need to remember what sparked all this to begin with. Suzumiya was showing signs of her mood recovering. Entering high school had brought up her spirits and allowed her to accomplish all new feats. I don't know precisely what this spark was, but I know who caused it."

"You mean [Kyon] don't you, Koizumi?"

"That's precisely who I mean. I've spoken with him, and he seems aware of the situation. He still wants proof though. It wont be easy winning his trust, but if we can, I think we can count on him to figure out what Suzumiya needs most."

"You say he wants proof?" Keiichi chimed in with his own set of questions.

"He's somewhat skeptical. I've shown him no evidence that I am indeed an esper or that anything I've said about Suzumiya is true. He's heard multiple sources and perspectives, as well as forming his own. Not all of that information may work well together, but I believe that's precisely why he's the one most likely to fix things."

Mori-san finally stood up from her seat, signaling that she was preparing to end the meeting.

"We have no idea what [Kyon] might do, but given the circumstances, I'm afraid we'll need his help. Koizumi, things seem to be escalating beyond our most basic understanding, so I'm counting on you to make sure we can trust [Kyon] and have an action to take should things become dangerous."

"I will do my best."

"Excellent. I think that's all we can do for now. Everyone be cautious from now on. We're entering unstable territory now."

As mysteriously as our meeting began, it quickly melted away as all five people present gave their farewells and departed soon afterward. I was of course glad to have stated my opinion on certain subjects at last, but it also felt like little was accomplished. In the end, it seems more and more like we'll have to wait for someone like Kyon to take their next action before we can react.

Still, I feel like things are bound to turn up soon. We're all preparing for whatever Suzumiya-san's subconscious may cause, and I felt like our defenses were well fortified.

"Koizumi, mind if I walk you home."

I turned around, and to my surprise, Tamaru Keiichi had remained nearby after everyone else had left, including his own brother. I'm sure he'd have something interesting to say. I rarely spoke with anyone in the Organization alone other than Arakawa and Mori-san.

"I don't mind at all. I could use the company."

"Good! I was hoping I could talk to you. You said some interesting things today."

So he really did have something to say.

"Koizumi, you sure are a lucky kid. You get to say and do many amazing things."

"It can be stressful, but I do suppose I lead a pretty interesting life."

"You know, you've really learned how to take charge. Mori-san was really worried before you showed up, but once you mentioned what we needed to do, she became the Mori we all know."

"I was glad to give my insight, but in the end we can do very little other than prepare and hope for someone else to present more paths to take. Our Organization is rather helpless at the moment."

The older man gave a slight chuckle before patting my shoulder and continuing.

"I don't know very much about the world, but I do know that when it comes to The Organization, you're the real hero, Koizumi. I wouldn't call anyone helpless after managing all the things you have. We all play our parts, and I have no doubt you're playing the role of hero rather nicely."

Keiichi took a few steps forward and let out a light sigh.

"As for me, this old geezer's just a side character to someone like you. I wouldn't expect much from me, but I certainly have a lot of faith in you, Koizumi. Keep it up."

Now it was my turn to laugh, though it was by no means at the expense of my colleague.

"I'm very flattered you see things like that, but I wouldn't call myself a hero. I'm only fortunate enough to be able to see things up close. We do all have our own parts though. I can only hope I play mine well enough."

"Well I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines then. We all will."

And after that empowering compliment, Keiichi and I merely walked and talked like old friends. He's a rather interesting person. I'm amazed I never got to spend much time with him before. Everyone I work with sure leads interesting lives.

In a way, I suppose that's true of everyone. The entire SOS Brigade seems to be full of individuals with their own stories. I suppose Keiichi was right in a way. The world had it's own main story, but each of us had our own stories to tell, and I was the hero of mine.

After some time passed, my older colleage and I parted ways, and I made my way home, free to round up my thoughts after a rather long day.

If I was the hero of my own story, then what would that story be? The past three years I've dedicated my life to preventing the end of the world at the hands of Miss Suzumiya, but it would be foolish to call her the antagonist to my story.

The true conflict was her unhappiness. In a way, Suzumiya was a distressed damsel, and the Organization was the rounded collection of knights vying to protect her from the forces of evil. The only problem though is that the evil forces are inside her, mere aspects that make her human and nothing more. Sounds like a pretty clever plot twist if you asked me.

Keiichi-san took the time to call out to me just now, not to ask anything of me, but to let me know he'd be cheering me on from the sidelines. Even Mori-san was at a loss and had no choice but to turn to me. So does that truly make me the Organization's hero?

In the end, I was no different than any of them. Without a sword of my own, I had nothing to slay the monster inside of Miss Suzumiya with. But it was still becoming my responsibility to make sure that monster never harmed the girl it had consumed. Even if I weren't a heroic knight, that is a task I'd assign myself without reason or glory.

When I arrived home I continued my day as usual. I spent time with my family, ate dinner, and finished up all my homework. After a warm bath, I made my way to bed and collected all my thoughts for the hundredth time since that evening.

I had to come up with a plan. Suzumiya-san's mental condition was worsening, and Celestial-filled Spaces would continue if we didn't think of a way to resolve this. I had to figure out a way to lighten the disappointments and pressures in her head, but that wont be an easy task.

As the proclaimed hero of the Organization, I knew that only the best would be accepted. Nobody could be left behind or forgotten in this fairy tale's ending, and so I had my work cut out for me.

Like any good hero, I planned to serve my role perfectly. Tomorrow, I had plans for a certain other hero.


	15. The Woes of an Esper - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When I awoke in the morning, I felt an immediate sense of urgency. It's not uncommon for Suzumiya to create a Closed Space during the night when she slept. Normally I wouldn't have worried about this possibly occurring since we had recently deal with a Closed Space the evening before, but with the powerfully negative mood I sensed in Miss Suzumiya, you can never be too careful.

Thankfully, no incidents occurred so far. I always did hate having to sneak out late at night to keep my parents from worrying, too. Lately, the Organization's problems with Suzumiya have no longer been limited to off hours though.

My third day of school that week had begun, and it began with very troubling news. Before arriving at school I received another message from the one and only Mori-san. According to scouts in the Organization, there was a disturbance in the school yesterday, around the same time me and my group had met after taking care of the Celestials problem.

It seems Kyon had been dealing with some unusual activities while I was gone, and Nagato was somehow involved as well. At least, that's what Mori's network of information told her. She claimed the exact details weren't her specialty and merely warned me to be on the lookout. I'm sure I'd have been told more if I were needed for this, but it definitely made me feel a bit uneasy.

If something happened at school involving both [Kyon] and Nagato Yuki, and the exact details involved something that neither I nor Mori were involved in, that means this is not related to Suzumiya's well being, as my group has been focusing on.

Does this mean the Organization isn't the only one dealing with urgent matters? We have our Closed Spaces to deal with, and it seems Kyon may have gotten involved in something involving Miss Nagato's factions. On my way to school I knew I had more important things to worry about, but part of me wanted to ask around. Though we haven't known each other long, this does involve two of my fellow club members.

Upon arriving at school I headed for Nagato-san's classroom. I at least knew where to find everyone in case of emergency. At least, that's what I thought. Unfortunately, Miss Nagato was nowhere near her class that morning.

After asking around I found out from her classmates that she usually shows up at the last second, right before the bell rang. Come to think of it, that does sound like her. I guess Nagato has her own life after all. Even my background checks left a few holes in my deductive skills.

I figured the best place to check next would be the clubroom, but the first class periods would be starting soon, so I decided to wait. In case you're wondering, I'm amazed to say that I somehow managed to focus on schoolwork while in class today. Studying chemical formulas is a surprisingly efficient distraction.

My studies proved to be such a great distraction, I almost didn't notice something…unusual about this morning. I could no longer sense Suzumiya's negative mood. Instead, when I focused on Miss Suzumiya's emotions, all I could feel was the same feeling from when I first enrolled in North High.

Suzumiya's depressive mood was now…gone. It was most certainly there this morning, so did something happen while she was in class? Maybe this was the move from Kyon I was waiting for. He was the one who did this the first time after all.

I didn't let this news get to my head though. Suzumiya-san's emotions had dropped just as suddenly over the weekend. I don't think today's change is a permanent solution, which meant I still wanted to investigate with Nagato-san just to be safe.

It wasn't until after our first class period had ended that I managed to track down Miss Nagato. I caught her just as she was leaving her class. I should make note not to bother going to her classroom first if this is her normal pattern.

"Good morning, Miss Nagato, I hope you don't mind me showing up here, I just wanted to talk with you. Is that alright?" I asked.

Nagato gave her brief answer.

"Yes."

And she then began walking. The two of us found a small secluded section by the stairs. I noticed this path would eventually lead to the clubroom, so I'm guessing Nagato passes by here often. To start off I began my inquiries.

"I'm sorry I couldn't find you this morning before classes. I wished to ask you something."

The alien lifeform merely stared at me with her mostly still, human eyes. I might have sensed the slightest hint of a nod in her head's movements, but it was too faint to tell. Either way, she wasn't responding with words yet.

"I heard there was some activity here yesterday. Are you alright?"

"I am fine. All damages caused by Asakura Ryouko have been currently neutralized. "

Asakura Ryouko? If I recall, that name belonged to another TFEI. Was there another alien causing "damages", as Nagato-san put them?

"So are you saying another one from your faction caused a disturbance? I have no doubt of your capabilities, but I hope you don't mind me asking if everything is alright."

"I have taken full responsibility for her actions and now plan to be cautious of any further disturbances. It is now my responsibility to make sure no similar threats ever arise. You should not worry."

Nagato proved to be as efficient in reading people as she reads her books when she gave me her words of assurance. I was certainly glad to see she appears to have everything under control. So I really didn't have any reason to be given more information from Mori after all. What a relief.

"Well, I guess that answers my question then," I replied, with a now genuine smile. "I'm sorry for prying, I just wanted to make sure everything was alright. I trust you have things under control for now. Please, let me know if you ever need my assistance for anything in the future."

"I will need your capabilities tomorrow."

I almost fell over when Miss Nagato actually replied to my offer. Given how efficient she is at maintaining things on her end, the last thing I expected was to actually be of any use to her. She is referring to me right?

"By capabilities, are you perhaps referring to my connections to Miss Suzumiya?"

"Yes."

Well there goes my answer.

"Well, I can't possibly turn you down, especially when you asked so nicely. But what exactly do you need me for, and why tomorrow?"

"Situations will soon arise that are beyond the understanding of the Integrated Data Sentient Entity and may also prevent further observations of Suzumiya Haruhi. I will have to rely on your own abilities when that happens. "

Anything beyond the understanding of an intelligence space cluster definitely doesn't sound good. This only reaffirms my belief that it's too early to celebrate Suzumiya's lifted spirits today. Something tells me things are only just beginning.

"Can you tell me what happens, Miss Nagato?"

"I am not completely certain. It is currently something I am unable to process. I only know it will create a crisis which the Integrated Data Sentient Entity cannot resolve."

"And that's where I come in?"

"Yes."

The quiet humanoid looked at me, a simple young boy at a loss for words. This was beyond her own comprehension, so I have no idea how I could think of anything useful to say. Nevertheless, she came to me for help, so I'll do my best.

I gave my best smile and nod. You can count on me Nagato.

"I'll be waiting for you in the park tomorrow."

She gave me my last instructions, followed by another slight movement that could have been a bow. Without another word, she turned back and walked into the hallway we both entered from.

Tomorrow. Meet Miss Nagato at the park. I'll have to remember that.

I considered following after her and walking her to class before the bell rings, at least to fine tune the details she briefly whispered at me, but I recalled she was leaving when I caught up to her. I'll leave her to her business for now. I have much to process anyways.

I suddenly felt as if I had just heard an ominous prophecy. Nagato seemed to be referring to events which have yet to occur. Is she even capable of knowing that sort of information? The SOS Brigade did manage to recruit a time traveler from an unknown point in the future, so it's not too much of a stretch. There's also no reason for Miss Nagato to lie, so if she says she'll need my help, I'll definitely believe that to be the case.

More importantly though, what does this mean for the Organization? What could possibly threaten a TFEI's ability to observe Suzumiya Haruhi? Unfortunately, there were far too many answers to that question, neither of which sounded pleasant. It's likely that the IDSE wont be the only one involved in something big tomorrow.

Tomorrow. Does that mean we have until today to prevent this possible crisis? Can we even stop it? Is it something that has to occur before we can neutralize it, or is there still hope that we can prevent a disaster before it gets out of hand? There's far too many questions, and time is beginning to run out now, apparently.

Nagato herself doesn't seem entirely aware of what will happen? I doubt the Organization would have any more knowledge on the situation either. I guess I could go ask Miss Asahina for her thoughts on this, but if knowledge of the future hasn't helped the IDSE, then I doubt future humans would fare any better than modern ones.

All I knew now is that the risks of this little game of ours just went skyrocketing, and everyone was at a loss for moves.

With nothing left to do, I followed into the hallways and returned to class. It wasn't easy to concentrate this time though. Things seemed eerily quiet now.

Suzumiya had entered a more stable mental state, so I can only hope she stays that way for a while. As for Nagato, she seemed not to worry, but there could be any number of reasons for that. Either way, there's nothing I can do right now. She's provided me with all the information she can.

That means I have to work on my last loose end before tomorrow. The message Mori-san gave me this morning involved two individuals. Everyone else is on standby, and all that's left now is the infamous Kyon.

It's not easy knowing where to start with him when you consider the kind of involvement he's had with the other factions. I can only imagine the kind of things that can be seen and heard from his vantage point. That boy has found himself at the center of all this. Right at the heart of the Suzumiya fever that had engulfed us all.

I thought long and hard about what I'd say to Kyon when I next saw him. This morning I considered asking him about what he's been up to. I forgot to ask Nagato if the incident from yesterday was connected to the oncoming crisis she warned me about, but I doubt Kyon would know much about any trouble going on between TFEIs. I'll have to focus on something else.

No doubt, Kyon's been seeing many things that make it difficult to deny what everyone's been telling him: that Suzumiya Haruhi is no ordinary human. I still need proof of my story though. The Organization and myself both have to play our roles now that things are finally falling into place for some unknown final play.

I was thinking of the many possible ways I could earn Kyon's trust and make sure we can count on him for when things start taking a turn for the worse, and I had already considered which ideas would be best. That all became a bit easier once I reached the clubroom though.

When my last class had ended, I cautiously walked to the SOS Brigade clubroom. I expected to run into other members, either Kyon himself, or at the very least, Miss Asahina and Miss Nagato might be there. Instead, the door leading into the SOS Brigade clubroom was closed, and on it was a piece of paper with a simple message written on it.

_There's no activities today for the SOS Brigade. –Haruhi_

As if by cue, my phone signaled another message from Mori-san after I finished reading the message left for all club members. I half expected what I would be informed of next when I looked at the message on my phone's small screen.

_Suzumiya and [Kyon] left school together._

Well that certainly explains one question.

Just when things begin to look grim, Kyon's always there to surprise everyone, probably with actions he wouldn't even consider all that special. Maybe he really was the one who helped Suzumiya's mood. Whatever happened today could likely be a good thing. It's still too early to let our guards down, but maybe he really can keep everything under control.

This also brought to my attention something that's been at the back of my mind for some time now. I guess this explains the relationship between Kyon and our Brigade Captain.

I admit, Suzumiya's an amazing girl, and I'd consider myself lucky to have her attention. If there's anything that troubled me the most this past week it's been knowing how much Suzumiya-san deserves to be happy. After feeling her deepest emotions for three years, I can tell just how strong and persevering she is.

So I guess I should be glad that she's found a boy who's able to give her that. And of course I am. I wondered what it was about Kyon that caused this spark in Suzumiya to appear and disappear throughout the past month, and although it was an obvious answer, I of course considered the likelihood that Suzumiya had fallen for this boy.

Anyone who's able to handle aliens, time travelers, and even espers can't be an ordinary human. Kyon seems to be everything Suzumiya ever wanted in life. I can't say I'd be surprised to hear that she fancies someone like him.

Part of me wished that I could've had a hand in all this. Of course, last Saturday's Brigade outing more or less proved that I'm not interesting enough to please Suzumiya. None of us are, except for this one high school boy. That Kyon really is special, isn't he?

Thinking about this, you'd get the impression that this is all good news. If Suzumiya's pattern of wanting to be alone was broken so she could leave school with her new partner in crime, then surely this recent mess was just a false alarm right? There's nothing to worry about now that Kyon's on the job.

But that would be foolish to assume. For one thing, the idea of Suzumiya falling in love is just a theory. It's not that I don't want her and Kyon to be together. Things would be easier on everyone if they started dating, wouldn't it? Suzumiya would be happy and the world would remain stable.

But there's no guarantee to any of this. Even if those two become a couple, we know that even Kyon can't keep Suzumiya-san pleased all the time. Her mood this morning was one of the worst I've ever sensed, and that could just as easily return at any moment.

That's right, all of this, Kyon's relation to Suzumiya, her new brighter mood throughout today, it was all temporary. We have no idea how long this would last, or how bad things would be once it wears off, but it wont stay like this forever, and it would be foolish to sit and wait for yesterday's events to repeat themselves without a plan.

It would be easier if I had better insight into all this, but unfortunately, I'm not the one Suzumiya thinks is special. To her I'm just another member of her Brigade, and with one exception, she's currently tuned us all out. Neither I, nor Nagato, nor Asahina have proven to be enough for her. And until we get closer to her, there's little I can do but speculate.

What does Miss Suzumiya want? What is it about today that made her so happy once more? How can we keep her satisfied like this? I honestly don't have the answers. Honest.

There is one person who might though. Kyon hasn't told me much, but he's definitely thinking his own thoughts about Suzumiya. To him, she's not an objective. He's not here to observe her. He joined the SOS Brigade voluntarily, without any factions backing him up. What he has to say could be important.

But until I gain his trust, what can I even ask him? It looks like we're back to square one. I'll need to have another chat with Kyon, and this one can't be as simple or straightforward as our last. I trust him to keep things safe for now, but I need to show him everything he needs to see in case of an emergency. He could be our only hope if one ever arises.

It was time to take action.

* * *

><p>I should probably keep you up to date on what happened next. Although, I'm only relaying what I heard according to our Organization's scouts.<p>

Today, the student known as Asakura Ryouko was transferred from school. Presumably the result of some sort of conflict yesterday evening that involved both [Kyon] and fellow TFEI Nagato Yuki.

After school, Suzumiya Haruhi and [Kyon] visited Miss Asakura's apartment, presumably to investigate her sudden disappearance.

Mori-san personally asked for any records on Asakura and her former residence, and the results showed that the TFEI and her supposed family had moved last night, which I'm guessing is why Suzumiya and Kyon eventually went their separate ways after leaving the apartment complex.

While all this was going on, I waited patiently in the Arakawa express taxi, which had picked me up after I left North High. I didn't request this or anything, but it seems my friends at the Organization knew I had planned to take action.

Arakawa drove us around the block while Mori kept us up to date on Suzumiya and Kyon's movements with her messages, as per my request. At first I merely sat quietly, hoping to come up with some ideas on how to go about my plans next. My initial thoughts were to question Kyon on his day out with Miss Suzumiya, but that might not be the best approach to him. It's not exactly my business what he does on his dates after all.

Thankfully, a new option presented itself much more quickly than I expected. Shortly before Suzumiya left for her home, there arose a new disturbance. A second Closed Space had been formed, just like the one from yesterday.

It was just as I feared. Although Suzumiya had found herself a new companion, his influence on her was not enough to keep her inner struggles at bay for long. Suzumiya was not happy with her life, and today did little to change that.

Despite only being a temporary solution at the moment though, Kyon was the only one of us all who had made any progress. If anyone could completely turn around Miss Suzumiya's spirits, it would be him. I just need a way to help push this young man in the right direction.

Keiichi-san once called me the hero of the Organization, but the real story was with Suzumiya, and the hero of her story was without a doubt the one known simply as Kyon. I have to do my best to make sure he's prepared for whatever action he'll need to take, either today or tomorrow.

In all honesty, I was a little jealous. After spending so much time as one of Suzumiya Haruhi's espers, I felt as if I were closer to her than anyone else. That was foolish of me though. My understanding of Suzumiya's mind didn't bring me any closer to her. We had only just recently met. Who knows, maybe if I had met her before all this happened…

But at the very least, I have a solution to my problems. Kyon had been told all about the amazing feats behind Suzumiya Haruhi's mysterious powers, but he first knew her as a girl from his homeroom class. A human being he meets every weekday. Rather than focusing on the paranormal events surrounding her, I think it's time Kyon sees her powers firsthand. What matters most in all this is the conflict inside Suzumiya herself.

Although I never informed Mori-san of where Arakawa was taking me, her final message made it clear there was no need for that.

_[Kyon] is heading home. Good luck._

By now, Arakawa had already taken me a few blocks away from the [Kyon] residence. We waited patiently for a moment before it was time for me to go wait for our guest. Arakawa-san gave me a nod before I stepped out of the car and prepared for what awaited us.

When Kyon arrives, we're going to take him to see a Closed Space. The biggest impact on this world left by Suzumiya-san's own mind.

I waited outside the home for a few minutes, wondering if anyone inside saw me. Maybe Kyon has many friends though. One high school boy visiting another after school isn't too odd a sight, is it?

Eventually, the figure I waited for came into view. The sun was setting and he looked somewhat tired in his movements, but I'd have to take him on one last trip. The young man in uniform walked home and paused once he recognized the figure waiting for him.

"Hi there."

I waved once he got close enough, but he merely stared. He probably figured out very quickly I'm not just here to catch up with a close friend.

"I want to keep that promise I made to you earlier, so I waited here for you to return. Can I delay you for just a moment? There's a place I wish to show you."

"Something to do with Suzumiya?"

As always, no time is ever wasted with Kyon. I gestured him to walk with me, but to my surprise, Kyon merely walked passed me and up to his door?

Did something happen? Maybe what caused the new Closed Space to appear had also affected Kyon. Come to think of it, I had almost forgotten he supposedly had a run-in with the same alien girl he went searching for with Suzumiya. Obviously he knew more of that mystery than he could have led on, unless he told Suzumiya something he shouldn't have…

He opened his door and sluggishly poked his head in, as if he wanted nothing to do with any aliens, time travelers, or espers anymore. This turn of events hit me like a brick wall.

Kyon's body only went partially into the door however. From the street I could see him toss his bag inside and say something to someone else at the door. Possibly to inform his parents of his plans for the evening. With his belongings left behind, he closed the door and walked back.

"Alright, let's go."

So rather than ignoring me, he's actively giving me all his time now, more so than I even expected to begin with. This boy is one surprise after another.

Please don't scare me like that again in the near future, Kyon. Your sense of humour almost gave me a heart attack.

* * *

><p>Since Arakawa-san was waiting for me this whole time, it wasn't long before I hailed a taxi for me and my new companion. We could probably reach the Closed Space by foot, but I figured the privacy of our own cab would be an appropriate setting for us to talk.<p>

Right now, Kyon has a mysterious yet still close relationship with Suzumiya, but it's not perfect. I can't imagine anyone capable of keeping their friends satisfied at every hour of the day, so it would be unreasonable to expect this one boy to do just that.

But Miss Suzumiya is no ordinary human. Her satisfaction is key to our entire world's stability. Without anyone to appeal to her, more and more destructive spaces will appear, until something irreversible may happen. Special actions need to be taken for this one particular girl. Suzumiya herself is truly special in every regard.

To Kyon, however, Suzumiya is just a girl who's being observed by odd factions straight out of a science fiction novel. It's not her who he perceives as special, but rather us, the mysterious organizations that follow her through a powerful network of skills and information. I believe it's mistakes like these that lead to people neglecting Suzumiya's needs.

Yes, Suzumiya is a very strong person, able to handle severe stress and pressure that would crack a lesser being. But because of her role to the world at hand, we shouldn't force her to endure such problems merely because we know she can handle them. We must be sure to take care of her, and understand her importance, as well as Kyon's.

"So you still believe Haruhi's God?"

His casual tone when referring to the "god" in question only confirms my suspicions of how he views her. He clearly cares for her, but that does not overcome his lack of understanding. He does not see the danger that comes with neglecting to find what makes Suzumiya happy.

Maybe I can take this god mentality he's struggling with and make my beliefs clearer. Time for a lecture, Kyon.

"Before I answer your question," I replied," may I ask if you've ever heard of the Anthropic Principle?"

"Never heard of it."

"It's a theory that basically states that 'if something is true and exists for us humans, then it must be true specifically because it exists to us.'"

"I don't get it."

Sometimes Kyon's a little too straightforward for our own goods. I stared out the window, feeling we have plenty of time before we reach our destination thanks to Arakawa's expert driving intuition. I'll need to prepare Kyon mentally for what awaits him.

"In other words, it means that intelligent life forms became aware of the universe around them, and through observations, learned of the various laws of reality and physics that made this universe possible. If we hadn't evolved to our present state, though, we couldn't say that the universe would exist. There would be no one around to observe these laws. Thus, whether the universe exists or not is meaningless, because there's no one around to apply meaning to the universe and accept its existence."

"But that makes no sense! The universe still exists the same regardless of whether humans are there or not."

"Yes, you're absolutely right. That's why the Anthropic Principle is just a philosophical way of thinking. However, something interesting does come out of this theory."

Kyon silently gave me his approval once more. I can only imagine how many thoughts race through his mind at once, but it seems he's always ready to listen no matter how much of a tangent the conversation takes.

"The question is this: why did the universe come to exist in a way that's stable enough for human habitation? A simple change in the gravitational constant could make the universe completely different than what it is now. All these rules and constants seem to be perfectly suited for human life existing in this universe. It's really incredible when you think about it."

Seeing Kyon's eyes roll as he leaned his head back signaled me that I should be getting to my point soon. Kyon has had a pretty busy week along with the rest of us. He'll listen to me speak on end, but he's certainly not in the mood for it.

"Relax, I'm not saying I believe an Almighty God or some form of deity that created us humans. In fact, many of my companions feel the same way and don't believe in any notion of gods. There's one thing troubling us though…"

"And what's that?"

"The things we do, do they have any meaning? Who's to say?"

"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about."

"I'm bringing this up for my own reasons. We haven't even begun discussing Suzumiya Haruhi."

Hearing her name spoken aloud snapped Kyon back to attention, almost as quickly as it did that day in school when I explained the Organization to him. Kyon is one to quickly lose patience, but he'll always focus when she's involved. I really do have high hopes for him.

"Do you remember what I said before? About how this world was created by Miss Suzumiya?"

"'She has the ability to realize dreams.' Do you have to be so conclusive about it?"

"I honestly can't think otherwise. Right now, the world is reflecting Miss Suzumiya's wishes. She believed in the existence of aliens, and that is why Nagato Yuki emerged. Similarly, Asahina Mikuru appeared as a result of her belief in time travelers. And I appeared for the same reasons, because Suzumiya believed in a world where espers exist."

"But how can you be sure it's because of her?"

"Because three years ago, I awoke with strange powers. Somehow, I understood these powers completely, as well as the fact that they were given to me by Suzumiya Haruhi, along with several others like me. I can't say I understand how I suddenly knew all this one day, I simply knew it to be true without having ever learned it."

"Even if I believed you had powers, I still find it hard to believe that Haruhi has these powers of her own."

And just as I imagined, Kyon has no problems believing the fantasy that is an Organization or the espers that maintain the world. He can't deny an alien attack or a message from the future, but his mind refuses to connect these oddities to Suzumiya.

"To be honest, I didn't believe it at first. I honestly thought I had gone crazy. A mere schoolgirl, able to change and create worlds at will? It's a pretty scary thought right? But what's really scary is that she could very well be bored with this world now."

"Why's that though?"

"I told you before, if she can create this world at will, then she can naturally make it disappear and reconstruct it to suit her wishes. Of course, we have no way of confirming this theory. For all we know the world has been recreated many times before now without any damage being done. But it's still a big risk to see her grow weary of how things have become."

"In that case, why don't you tell Haruhi who you really are. If you let her know espers exist, she'll definitely be happy. Maybe then she wouldn't go trying to destroy the world."

There's the switch. He's only partially serious, but Kyon now understands how the Organization views Suzumiya at least. It is her happiness and will that governs the world, and thus, her own feelings are what need to be considered.

"The problem with letting her believe such things is that if we let her think that espers are real, she might end up creating a universe where such things are commonplace. There would be no more universal laws for us humans. The world would quickly descend into chaos."

"There's one thing I still don't understand."

If there's only one thing that you don't understand then I'm proud to say this discussion is going better than I expected.

"You said it was Haruhi's longing to meet aliens, time travelers, and espers that made you, Nagato-san, and Asahina-san appear before her. So then why hasn't she noticed yet? Isn't it a little weird that we're the only ones who know everything?"

"You may find that inconsistent, but really, the only inconsistency is within Suzumiya-san herself. She wishes for a world where aliens, time travelers, and espers exist, but her common sense tells her none of these things are possible. Though she may act a bit eccentric at times, she thinks like any other ordinary person. Her storm-like passion had stabilized over the months, but now, a great change awaits us."

"And why is that?"

"It's because of you of course. If you hadn't given her any funny ideas we'd still be watching her be a melancholic young girl from the sidelines."

"Wait, what did I do?!"

"You're the one who encouraged her to form her weird club. It's because of you that she came up with the idea to create a Brigade specifically meant to gather such odd characters. You're the reason our three groups have now gathered together."

Of course, I believed there to be another reason. The Anthropic Principle points out the irregular instance of how a universe could form so perfectly for us humans. But in the end, those irregularities are precisely why we exist. If the universe didn't exist the way it did, we wouldn't be able to evolve to the point of noticing it.

Suzumiya's development could very well have been inevitable. The question isn't why or how Kyon managed to bring us all together through Suzumiya's will. That was always a given. If nobody ever created that spark in her to begin with, none of us would be here to even question such a feat. There would merely be an empty world. One which could never satisfy Miss Suzumiya's needs, nor have anyone who would care about or notice this glaring flaw.

This world, which could very well have been formed by Suzumiya, had no choice but to gather together aliens, time travelers, and espers, all under the influence of two high school students. The fact that we exist to observe this possibility made that inevitable.

Before Kyon and I could continue our discussion, Arakawa-san reminded us of his presence and informed us that we had reached our destination. The time had come.

Kyon followed me out of the cab, which soon left us stranded in a crowded street. We were merely two ordinary humans, lost in a sea of people commuting back and forth. Some were likely headed home after a long day. Some were probably rushing to finish some errands before the sun finished setting and signaled the night at the end of the day. No one would believe what was hidden in this extraordinary, yet perfectly normal sight to us humans.

No one else, not even Kyon, could see what I saw. Actually, it's more like a sixth sense than anything. I can't actually see anything unusual before me. I merely knew somehow that just a few steps away from where Kyon and I stepped out of those car doors was another world. One that was completely alien yet identical to the one we live in. Hundreds of people must have passed by it, or even entered the space it inhabits, all while never directly interacting with this space.

This world didn't exist in the three dimensions we humans have come to recognized, but in something entirely different. A space that can only be entered through the power of an esper, like myself. This was Closed Space, our destination.

It's not too late to turn back now, Kyon.

"I'm already here. Let's cut to the chase."

Well put Kyon. There's no point in changing your mind now that you're here. It's finally time to see what you've been asking for, and so desperately need to see with your own eyes.

I grabbed Kyon's arm and began to pull him into the space that likely looked nothing more than a pocket of air to him and everyone else passing my this street. A mere set of pavement no different than any of the other slabs of concrete around it, but in actuality, the first step into a world made from Suzumiya Haruhi's own mind.

After taking a few steps together, Kyon soon entered the dark grey world of Closed Space. His body now sensed the complete disappearance of the world around him for the first time. We're here now.

Kyon's first look into the pocket space I just brought him into was one that left him with a new face I hadn't seen yet. The minute he pulled away from my hand I could tell he had no idea where to look first. There was the almost nonexistent sky above us, the now emptied grey crosswalk we were just standing on, the invisible barrier we just passed that marked the edge of this Space. Finally, Kyon even looked at himself to make sure he had no broken bones. He sure knows his priorities in such an odd environment.

I half expected this, but Kyon didn't seem frightened or even surprised. No, maybe there was a slight hint of shock in his eyes, but I assume it's only because he wasn't quite expecting me to show him such tangible results. He was certainly feeling uneased from the way he cautiously walked about at first, poking the air to see if his hands would touch anything unusual, but he was taking this rather well.

"We're now inside the space between spaces. A sealed dimension cut off from the world we live in: Closed Space."

Kyon looked like a changed man once I began talking and explaining the world I brought him into. Suddenly he was without questions. All this was brand new to him, but he was slowly taking it all in on his own while quietly listening to what I had to say. His eyes gave me the signal to continue and informed me he was at ears until I've stopped.

He definitely hadn't ever experienced something like this before, but the fact that he could walk around so calm and collective while still clearly uncertain about what he might see was definitely something to admire. All I had to do was gesture with my arm which direction we were going and he quietly followed.

As we walked I explained everything to Kyon. From the intricacies of how and when Closed Spaces form, to the approximate size and properties of this exact space we've entered. By the time we reached the nearest building, Kyon began to look more at ease, his curiosity satisfied as I revealed more to him over time.

Our destination was a nearby rooftop, and the stairs we found leading up to it were just the right size for me to finish my explanations once we reached the open non-air again. By now, Kyon now understood that this Space formed from Miss Suzumiya's mental instabilities, and as an esper, I am able to sense this place and use my powers as her mind states.

I'm not quite so sure how Kyon took this odd sight so lightly. Maybe he's just difficult to phase. He was smart enough to know this world was possible once I explained it to him, he merely wanted proof. Simple as pi. Then again, maybe he's merely used to these things happening. I know he's at the very least had one run-in with aliens. I get the feeling an alien dimension wouldn't have perfectly normal looking buildings and streets in it.

Perhaps he was expecting more. His look of shock and curiosity had definitely waned once we'd reached the roof. He finally understood, but Closed Space doesn't provide a very ominous feel at first glance once you know what to expect.

"So is this what you brought me to see? There's hardly anything here," he complained.

"Oh, don't worry. The real show's about to start. I just wanted to explain things to you while we waited."

A small scowl appeared on Kyon's face. I guess he didn't like being told that everything he focused on just now was only a side dish. But given that this world would soon be overrun by blue monsters, I figured that even someone like Kyon needed some mental prep-work.

I patiently waited, and I could sense the presence of Celestials looming closer. Their giant bodies didn't follow the rules that govern our world. There'd be no ground shaking or looming shadows appearing above us. Just beings of Suzumiya's mind coming into existence to do what they do best.

Eventually I saw what I was waiting for. To my side, Kyon was leaning against a fence, perhaps growing a bit too comfortable with these surroundings. I'm genuinely curious what his next reaction will be.

Kyon turned around and set sights on his first Celestial. This one was pretty big, towering over even the larger buildings of the city. Almost immediately, the reality of our situation seemed to sink in.

My new companion had to take a few steps back when he saw what happened next. Like clockwork, the blue giant began raising its giant limbs and tore down the nearest skyscraper like it was a child's building block building. Once again, the earth beneath us stood still, but the crumbling debris and dust from the crushed building could be clearly seen filling the air and collapsing with a loud crash.

In Kyon's face I finally saw something I'd have seen in a normal person ages ago. No longer was he merely curious or surprised to see this empty space. Kyon had just shown his first brief glimpse of fear. For once, even he had no idea how to respond.

"When Suzumiya's irritation level reaches its peak, those giants will appear."

As the destruction continued, I continued by brief Closed Space 101 lesson. Kyon merely looked on at what was happening, involuntarily speechless for the first time since I've met him.

"I believe these things are a form of stress relief. Suzumiya can't go about summoning giants and causing mass destruction in the real world, so she creates a Closed Space where she can unleash her destructive energy. Does that make sense?"

Kyon rushed to gather his thoughts and merely looked back and forth between me and the Celestial in the distance, destroying everything at its feet.

"So…what? That thing's just gonna keep tearing things apart?"

As if on cue once more, red lights began appearing in the sky and surrounded the Celestial. Our temporarily solution to Suzumiya's well being.

"Those are my colleagues, fellow espers who have been given powers by Miss Suzumiya, just like me. Only we have to power to stop those giants."

Looking on, I saw the red lights of my fellow espers fly around, appearing to have no effect on the blue monster underneath them. From Kyon's perspective, that thing must look unstoppable, but it's now time to put an end to today's Celestial menace.

"Please wait right here. I think it's time I join them."

I stepped back and now continued like normal. Kyon was no longer here. Just another casual elimination of a Closed Space. My new priority was to take care of work here before resuming my discussion, and I soon felt that familiar red light engulf my body.

This was routine to me. Without question I flew over to the other esper lights in the sky and flew about, travelling into and around the giant Celestial as bits and pieces of it were destroyed by our glowing red powers. Part of me stopped to think what this must look like to a outsider. It's always been instinct for me, so even I don't know what an unspoiled first look at an esper battle must look and feel like.

Of course, this was no routine vanquishing of blue giants. This was a blue moon among Closed Spaces. The second one to form in two consecutive days. On top of that, we now had a guest watching us, and how he responds could change everything. This was like any other mission as an esper, and yet it was quite possibly the most important thing the Organization has ever had to partake in.

Before long, the blue glow from inside the Celestial being began to slowly fade. The fire-like glow of myself and my fellow espers had countered it completely and erased it from existence like always. I wonder how many of the others even knew how important this Celestial in particular was.

As my companions flew off in separate directions, I flew back to the roof where I had left Kyon. The instincts that lead me to battle led me effortlessly to where I started, and I saw the same teenage boy watching me descend and return to normal with ease.

Now comes the interesting part. Kyon finally got his proof and saw what was crucial to his understanding. What our Organization does next after this could well be determined by him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. There's one last thing I'd like to show you."

Before answering his questions I pointed at the sky. Within the next minute, the cracks of light from the real world shined through, and the bright orange glow shattered the outside walls of this Closed Space. All the while Kyon merely kept his speechless look of awe he had when I had initially returned.

The Closed Space dissolved around us, and the sounds of cars and people in the streets below us returned. The sun was lower than when we had entered, with dark purple hues beginning to fill up the increasingly night sky.

Kyon merely stared at me for a moment, once again unsure where to look. If I were him I'd be tempted to touch me to see if I was burning after that exhibition. I think seeing the real world return is what really hit home and let him know that what he just witnessed was by no means ordinary, no matter how nonchalant he was about it.

"Let's go. It's getting dark soon."

Kyon quietly nodded and followed me down to the stairs we climbed up. I let him think to himself for a bit before breaking the silence, although this silence was nowhere near as deafening as the one we experienced upon entering Closed Space.

"Time doesn't pass normally inside Closed Space, although I can't say it's anything extreme. I'm guessing only a few minutes have passed since we first entered even though it would take that much time for us to merely walk to this rooftop from the intersection we left."

"So did we just disappear for a few minutes?"

"Not quite. No one ever notices anything unusual. I often wonder myself how it looks to pass by those barriers into Closed Space, but it's a lot more like a sixth sense then us disappearing into nothing. It would be like asking what smells look like. Technically, that line of questioning doesn't even make sense. All those people on the streets saw nothing more than two high school students passing by like you'd expect."

"That doesn't make any sense. Then again, I'm having trouble wrapping my head around all this to begin with."

"I'm sure it's a lot to take in, but what you've just witnessed is more or less what us espers have to go through every time one of those Closed Spaces shows up. Sometimes they're infrequent enough not to be a problem, but lately, they've been raising a few concerns."

By this point we reached ground floor and made our way out in the open. There was a moment of silence between our being in public again and my signaling to be picked up by the same cab that dropped us off. Arakawa-san was waiting with a smile, right on time.

"What kind of concerns do you guys have?" asked Kyon, once we reached the privacy of the car. He was quick to figure out that being overheard by taxi drivers wasn't a problem.

"Well, we know that Closed Spaces form when Suzumiya-san reaches her limit. Even though I can sense her state of mind, seeing the physical results of her mental stability is another thing entirely. The timing and frequency of them can easily raise a few red flags in certain cases."

Kyon leaned his head back into his seat and began to ponder a bit. Seeing my turmoils as an esper is one thing, but it's crucial that he comes out of this thinking about how Suzumiya plays into all this.

"Do you understand now?" I asked.

"I don't get it…"

I guess I broke Kyon's calm poker face. All this esper business must be difficult to follow when you take it all in at once. It took me a long time to get the hang of it myself, and I'm the one who learned all this firsthand from Suzumiya. We might not have the time for Kyon to piece everything together as slowly though.

The dull grey clouds of Closed Space. The dim blue glow of the towering Celestials. The burning red flames of flying espers. All this is pretty amazing when you think about it, but the part I need Kyon to focus on is how all this relates to Suzumiya.

These things didn't just come to be on their own. It was Miss Suzumiya herself who created that world between worlds and the powers behind both sides of the battle Kyon just witnessed. The effects of Closed Space, on both the world and on espers like myself, are determined by the young girl with strange abilities beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

But it's Suzumiya's human side that creates the biggest risk. She's as vulnerable to disappointment, irrational fears and instabilities as the rest of us, and it's only inevitable that these pressures begin to pose problems, for everyone involved.

What Kyon just witnessed was something that should not exist in normal Space. At this very moment, I have no special powers and have zero chances of encountering another giant out here in the real world we live in. But we now know that such a world where this is possible does exist, and it's a serious threat to the one we usually find ourselves in.

If we can't find out the secret to making Suzumiya happy and countering her lesser moods, then there's no telling how the world of Closed Spaces would affect us. If left unchecked, we could all disappear, or even worse. All we know is the world as we once knew it would cease to exist.

When we returned to Kyon's home, he opened his door and stepped out without saying anything. If I let him, he'd probably have continued as if nothing happened. I don't think he wants to think about this sort of thing right now, but unfortunately, the fate of the world doesn't like going easy on us members of the SOS Brigade.

Today, Suzumiya-san's mood was lifted, only to be quickly taken over and replaced by one that summoned another Closed Space, and so soon after the last one too. This is definitely not a common occurrence, and not a good sign for any of us.

"Hey, I'd like to ask you to please keep an eye on Suzumiya-san's behavior. Her mental state has been showing signs of great changes lately."

Brought back to attention Kyon leaned over the top of the car and peered inside once more. During the ride over he had returned to his usual calm state, but I seriously wonder what thoughts are going on in his head regarding everything, if any.

Despite his apparent desire to return home and put all this behind him, he was quick to provide an answer to my request still.

"Even if I did keep an eye on her, how would that change anything?"

"To be honest, I'm not so sure myself. But I do know that this is all a pretty complicated matter and there are many different opinions among my companions. I think it's a good idea to count on you for something like this. You've pulled off some pretty impressive things already, you know."

Kyon seemed to understand, but he deserved at least one night to sleep on things. He silently stepped back and left me to close the door be driven off with nothing more than a wave. This long day was finally finishing up.

From the rear view mirror I could see him stand outside his home before the cab veered off in the direction toward my own home. Arakawa-san politely gave me a nod of approval and let me catch my breath. There's no telling what may happen next, but I truly am counting on Kyon in all this. If I can't trust him, I'm not sure who we can count on.

"Well, that was certainly an eventful evening. I'm glad it's over for now at least, even though I doubt tomorrow will be any less busy at the rate we've been going."

At the sound of my voice Arakawa-san immediately brightened up, as if he'd been holding in what he wished to say for some time now.

"I think it went well. You certainly have a way with words. And that [Kyon] was definitely an interesting person as well. Hearing you both discuss things, I felt like I was witnessing an important moment in history."

"I don't think it's anywhere near that important, but what happens next with Suzumiya-san and [Kyon] could be the historical event you're looking for. It wont be easy figuring out what to do, but I think we'll all be on our toes still for a while longer."

"I'm sure Mori will keep us informed as always. We'll be on the lookout for anything big, don't worry. You just focus on those two friends of yours."

With another busy night coming to a close, I was soon dropped off at my home and left to say my goodbyes to Arakawa. He was optimistic as always, and I had good hopes for the near future, but I had a feeling tomorrow might end up being another active day.

In a way, I guess you can say I was right.


	16. The Woes of an Esper - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Have you ever wondered about the stories within a story? I'm not referring to a Hamlet style play performed before the already fictional characters of a story. That's a different literary device entirely.

What I'm talking about is the stories that exist in the world of fiction that are never told. You could read a book about the brave heroes who climb the lost tower and slay the demon king to save world, and that's the story the author intended after all, so that alone is enough to satisfy most people.

But what other stories exist in that world? What about everyone besides the hero? They weren't the heroes of that one particular story, but surely there are other stories out there, with their own new heroes. Since the main story was already fictional, what makes those stories any less real than the one written on paper?

I've been informed from a close colleague that I am the hero of the Organization, and I can see how one might think that. Right now, the fate of the world rests in the hands of two high school students, and I'm the one who was chosen to watch over them and set things in place for the big climax as the representative of our entire Organization.

But wait, if I'm only setting the stage for those two high schoolers, then that would make them the heroes, wouldn't it? I'm just a side character. One of the many friends and allies who helped out on this incredible journey, but our two heroes will have to finish the job on their own. My role is already finished.

To be honest, being the hero doesn't sound very pleasant. There are times where I'm already overwhelmed by the responsibilities I have. I can't imagine having to deal with the added struggles a hero would have to face. It may be difficult to sit on the bleachers, but I don't think the home run hitter has it any easier.

If I could though, I'd gladly take the role of hero for this story. If it would make things easier for everyone else, I'm sure I could handle it. Besides, it might be a little fun.

Of course, it's never that simple. Life isn't a story book, and no one ever gets to choose to be a hero. We all have our roles, and we're all the heroes of our own stories, even if one story ends sooner than the others.

After last night, I honestly don't know what's left for me. I'm sure something will happen. There are too many loose ends to just finish off here. I'd feel a little disappointed if I was reading a book and it ended right about now. Sure, the "hero" has finished his duties and served his purpose, but the story is far from over. Someone still has to be the _true_ hero and end things once and for all.

Someone's gotta swing that bat.

I've said this several times now, but the next move is Kyon's. I've made my own advances and gave him the information he needs. Now we just have to wait and hope he processes it in a way that benefits us all. I'm certain he will. He's a smart guy after all. Still, I can't help feeling a little worried.

It's a pretty scary feeling really, not knowing what will happen next, even when you're almost certain things will work out. What if I'm wrong? What if Kyon can't satisfy Suzumiya's desires after all this? What if she gives up on the world entirely? What will happen to us? What will happen to Suzumiya?

A world can't exist without an author, but our story has already begun. It would be a shame to end it on such an unsatisfying ending. But if the author herself doesn't like what she sees, well by all means, she's entitled to start brand new on page one again until she gets the story she's been wanting from the beginning.

It's frightening how much this makes sense. Starting over would make things so much easier. If it were anyone else, I'd be almost certain they'd settle for that easier ending. Just take it all back and begin anew with a much better story. And if you don't like that, you can always return it and try again. The library of the human mind is always full of new options.

There's no way Miss Suzumiya would do that though, would she? She's strong. I know that more than anyone. Not a day goes by where I can't sense how she's feeling, and if she can still put on a bright smile and spread her energy to four other students, her own club, then I wouldn't think anything could break her after all that's happened so far.

Human beings are fragile though. Suzumiya hasn't been smiling at all lately. Her club has left her with no results, and she hasn't even bothered to return all week. It's stopped being worth the effort to stay strong for her, and when things finally hit rock bottom, there's few paths to go through from there.

That day of school was another odd one. Yesterday I had a bit of trouble concentrating for a bit, but that's not my concern today. It's eerie to say, but today was just normal. Is that even allowed this late in the game?

Today I came to class and was greeted by my classmates just like any other day. Some of them I even enjoyed a nice chat with before class began. What about? The incoming heat of Summer. Adjusting to the new school year a month in. Walking up that long hill before entering school grounds. It was an average conversation from an average group of students. What else would you expect?

That afternoon I had lunch with some of my classmates and continued this pattern. I had a well packed lunch and enjoyed it to its fullest. Nothing special happened, and the entire day passed by without incident. Some people might find it boring, but really, what's wrong with boring? We could all use a break sometimes.

Of course, most days are like this. I can't exactly do much during class time. Even espers have to work to keep their grades up. It was what followed afterward that usually posed problems, and I liked to enjoy the few moments of peace before those problems arise as much as I can.

So you'd probably think after school was where the real story continues from last time. Today's chapter hadn't begun yet. All this is just a building up to the real thing right?

Surprising as it may be, that wasn't the case at all. True, what one encounters in the SOS Brigade is not normal by typical standards, but let's look at the big picture here.

After school ended, I went up to the Brigade clubroom. Walking there, I almost considered the feat pointless, as I was certain there'd be no "normal" club activities from Miss Suzumiya. All day I could sense her mood reach levels I hadn't felt in a long time.

My biggest concern before now was the Brigade outing we had last Saturday. After that day, Suzumiya's mood felt like a crater having broken into the Earth's crust. Her disappointed came crashing downward, and we've been facing the consequences ever since.

For a comparison, if Saturday was a crater, then today's mood would reach into the center of the Earth, releasing hot magma from the planet's core.

Just what happened to Suzumiya yesterday? She had temporarily cheered up and left school with Kyon, but by the time it was over, neither of them seemed to be in high spirits. Thanks to the Organization, I know that the two went to visit the home of a now extinguished [TFEI] gone rogue, Miss Asakura Ryouko.

When two people go investigate the disappearance of an alien being and return in a brand new melancholic state, one would assume they did not like the results. Knowing Suzumiya-san, the only result that could make her feel this down is nothing at all. That's the absolute worst thing, in her mind.

So knowing Suzumiya had reached an all time low, I was surprised to find that she had attended her first SOS Brigade meeting all week. Upon entering the clubroom I saw our Brigade Chief in her seat for the first time in what felt like years to me. This is a good sign, right? She no longer wished to be left alone, so that means she's giving us a chance to fix this mess she feels.

Now right off the bat, the view that greeted me was one of pure fun. Of course, that just about sums up the entire SOS Brigade: fun to watch. Our problem though is that things aren't so fun when you're on the inside.

In one corner, the infamous bunny girl I had heard about from around school had surfaced. Suzumiya Haruhi was wearing a black leotard and bunny ears, just like the one I've been told she wore earlier this year. I've yet to hear the full details of that incident, not having transferred to North High yet at the time, nor did I have any guesses why it was being worn today of all days. It just looked nice.

Off to the side was the wonder maid Miss Asahina Mikuru, wearing the same elegant maid's dress she wore last week. There was even a pot of tea being brewed and small cups set about the place. It was a regular tea party, and everyone was invited. The girls of the SOS Brigade certainly knew how to make a pleasant sight.

That day, our five members did what could be described as play time. Nagato sat in her chair, reading yet another book like it was the highlight of her day. At the table, Kyon and I spent the whole afternoon playing board games. As for the two girls in costume, well the resident bunny girl gave her maid braids, followed by several other hairstyles. They looked like two happy young sisters.

I'm sure we all looked a bit happy. That's what the SOS Brigade always looks like. You can tell by the way people spread rumors. Nobody wanted to get close, but it was definitely fun to talk about. What other school can claim to have a "bunny girl incident" or a mysterious club no one dares to speak of around the school staff.

It was an exciting thought, knowing that such ruffians existed, even though nobody wanted to be a part of the action. It was fun enough knowing the SOS Brigade existed, and those oddballs were having a blast in their secret clubroom.

But anyone who's heard this story so far knows the truth behind everything.

Suzumiya could wear all the costumes and play all the games she wants, but in the end, it's not what she wanted. I don't think even she knew what exactly would make her feel satisfied, but it's certainly not this. The Fun Club was doing nothing to lift her spirits, no matter what we'd ask her to join in on. Our silly activities were completely hollow experiences for her.

And what of her Brigade members? I know I certainly wasn't enjoying this meeting as well as I wish I could. It was relaxing really. We had nothing in particular to do, but that was the beauty of today. Even with nothing to do, we found ways to pass the time together, and tomorrow, we could look forward to more of this, having fun however we pleased.

All this sounds good on paper, but in practice, we're left with no one in particular to share our excitement with. We may as well have headed home and enjoyed the evening in our own time and it wouldn't have made a difference. Hardly any words were exchanged, and before we knew it, the day had ended, resulting in all five members getting up and leaving one by one.

We did everything we could to make things fun and exciting for Miss Suzumiya. Really, just anything pleasant would do. Unfortunately, Suzumiya isn't a child. A nice day of relaxing with her friends wont fix her problems. Nothing was accomplished today, and she knows it.

There was definitely something to appreciate in our time together, but she wasn't feeling it. We've done nothing to make her truly care for us, so why would our time satisfy her now when nothing else did before? Just who were we? A couple of ordinary high school students with nothing to say for themselves.

But really, none of us are ordinary. We have an alien, a time traveler from the future, a magical esper boy, and with all due respect, I don't think I can identify Kyon as normal by any means. We're all about as ordinary as a talking ostrich selling noodles.

Our problems aren't ordinary either, to be honest. Miss Nagato had recently dealt with some trouble among her alien faction. Should any more trouble pop up, she's given us her word that everything's under control, but it's certainly not nothing. There's no telling what kind of events her alien cluster has in store for us. They've already got Kyon involved in some way.

And of course, I didn't forget Nagato's frightening prophecy from yesterday. She wants me to meet her in the park today, but she left before I could talk to her. Am I supposed to head there now or much later in the evening?

I still don't know what event she was referring to yesterday, but I would've felt something was bound to happen today anyways. The day ended on a very bad feeling, which lingered long after. It was like a fever that was about to peak in temperature. Knowing what was going to happen beforehand wouldn't help us one bit.

But let's slow down, what about everyone else? To be honest, I had almost forgotten about Asahina-san. She and I haven't been able to properly speak since the weekend. As far as I've heard, no strange activity had arisen involving her, and yet she seemed more uneased than anyone else in the room. Did something happen, or was she just having the same bad sense of intuition as me and Nagato? She's from the future, so maybe she knows for a fact something will happen today as well. In that case, what were her plans?

And of course, there was Kyon. What did he plan on doing today? He seemed content with the meeting we just had. It was a day of rest. All he had to do was play games and enjoy the looming heat of the sun setting in the distance. But what about last night? What were his thoughts about the destruction that could arise from Suzumiya's current state? Does he even have any ideas?

Kyon was our hero, but even he didn't seem to know where to go from here. Heroes can't exactly save the day without a direction after all. Where does the story go from here? I guess you can say it's entirely up to the author to decide.

Suzumiya Haruhi. The girl behind everything. For the past three years, her well being has been my biggest priority, along with most everyone else. The entire world could hang in the balance of her ability to find happiness in the world of ordinary humans. This leaves us with two important questions though.

First question: How can Suzumiya-san become satisfied with her life? This is the conflict we've been trying to resolve for a very long time, but after today, you could almost say headless chickens would've fared better than we have. We're all just waiting for something to happen in the world around us in the hopes that we could push things in a better direction once things got close.

Then there's question two: If the world hangs in the balance, what is it hanging off of? By pure instinct, I just know that serious consequences will arise if Suzumiya's mental stability reaches a critical low point, but no one knows what those consequences are or how severe they could be. The worst case scenario is as bad as our minds make it, and for many of us, that scenario is one we wish to avoid at all costs.

In the end, the SOS Brigade split up, with everyone heading home like you'd expect us to. Just five separate high school students leaving school like usual. From the outside, we appear completely normal, and unfortunately, that was no longer good enough.

What would you do though? The hero usually has a dragon to slay. A tower to climb. Companions to help him brave the most grueling of challenges leading up to the final fight, ready to be resolved with one quick slash.

What was our tower though? And how could we reach it? Whether it's myself, the hero of the Organization, or Kyon, Suzumiya's chosen white knight, there's no path or resolution in sight.

But the story honestly can't end here can it? Well, obviously not. When the dramatic climax is nowhere to be found, the only other way for it to surface is from a surprise attack, when we least expect it.

All we can do now is wait and hope there will be enough time before the end to resolve things accordingly. A close race to the finish. I'm sure Suzumiya wouldn't have had it any other way.

* * *

><p>After leaving the Brigade, I was uncertain where to go next. On this day there was no mysterious taxi waiting to pick me up, nor did my phone receive any ominous messages regarding my group's next actions. The Organization had no plans for me at the moment, so I was free to go about my business.<p>

For a while I considered going home and finishing my homework. Worrying about the oncoming events wont help me in the slightest, so it would've been wise to just calmly finish my coursework and rest up while I could. That level of tranquility was a bit beyond my nature though. I guess I worry too much to be that laid back. That seems more of Kyon's nature anyways.

Eventually, I came to the conclusion that there was no way I could let my mind go at ease until everything was set. I had a date with an alien to keep, and I certainly couldn't keep her waiting.

Miss Nagato left the clubroom first, and I spent some time waiting outside the school for my fellow Organization members, so she was likely well ahead of me if she headed straight for our meeting spot. It's fitting she asked me to meet her at the park. Mori-san has asked us to meet there plenty of times, and it's not far from where Miss Suzumiya asked the SOS Brigade to round up for the weekend. If one were to set up cameras there, they'd catch some very interesting groupings.

But what if she wasn't there? Miss Nagato never specified when we were to meet up. If she wanted us to meet after school she would have said so. Perhaps I'm meant to meet her once whatever she warned me about would occur. That means it's something I'd be able to notice, right?

After some time, I found myself at the park. My first instinct was to head for the park bench I always head to whenever the Organization was involved. Maybe that bench had some mystical power that drew aliens and espers to it. I reached the spot, and to my surprise I found…

…nothing.

I guess even Suzumiya's world can't have too many coincidences. I didn't think much at the time, figuring Nagato-san could be waiting elsewhere. This was a pretty nice and vast park after all. After a few laps around the paths though, I concluded that Nagato was nowhere to be found. I began to worry I went to the wrong place for a bit.

Thinking back, the reason I was here was because Miss Nagato knew about events that have yet to transpire. That must mean she has some form of knowledge about the future, so it's likely she'd know if I didn't know where to meet up. From what I've picked up about her behavior, I don't think she'd bother giving me any more details if she knows I'll be here. That sounds reasonable, right?

The thing to remember about Miss Nagato is that she's an alien interface. A [TFEI], created by alien beings for the sole purpose of observing Suzumiya Haruhi.

But she's a good ally, as well as a good person isn't she? She trusted me with this meeting and agreed to help me, but what does it all mean to her? Can she even feel emotions? It's definitely possible she's only behaving accordingly because it benefits her. If there was nothing in it for her, she might have left me here on my own. But the possibility of her being genuinely concerned and caring is just as likely though. I definitely see her as a possibly close friend after all this, even if she couldn't feel emotions the way a naturally formed human would.

That's right. I trust Nagato. She'll be here soon. I returned to the ever popular park bench and sat down. I'm willing to wait if I know my alien friend will be here shortly.

The wait wasn't the most pleasant of waits though. The sun was already setting, and after some more uneventful pauses, the world around me became dim enough for the street lights to turn on. The sun had already disappeared behind the faroff buildings, and its lighting would soon follow. Still, I knew I wasn't waiting in vain. I guess you could say it was an intuition. I don't like relying on intuition, but these days call for desperate measures. There's little else anyone could do but wait after all.

During this time, I thought about how little I knew about what happened with the Organization outside of my group with Mori-san and Arakawa-san and the Tamaru brothers. I don't even remember ever interacting with much of any other members outside of those four. Maybe they don't interact with many others either.

It's rather fascinating when you think about it. Somehow, one member of the Organization can interact with every other individual involved despite having never met most of them. It was as if the Organization had its own thought process, existing as a network of information being transferred to and fro, no different than a human brain.

Everything I've learned about Nagato's faction had to have come from somewhere. From the force she calls Data, to the name of the Integrated Data Sentient Entity, to the events that transpired earlier this week that were brought to my attention. Someone in the Organization has their eye on these aliens. It could be one expert, or a crack team of undercover spies. You can't prove it's not the latter.

This world truly is amazing, and I'm lucky to be such an integral part of it, right in the center, where multiple incredible factions exist, with artificial human life forms interacting with mysterious organizations that can make anything possible. Wherever you turned, there was likely to be some kind of connection to the Organization, or at least something the Organization was aware of.

If only Suzumiya-san could see the true nature of the world she's grown tired of.

Evidently, when I said the Organization is connected with everything, I wasn't kidding. By the time night had fallen, my phone finally decided to disturb the eerie peace that had befallen me all day. It was a message from the same Mori-san as always.

_Call us when you're done waiting for your friend. :)_

I couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle. I'm glad my colleagues in the Organization were looking out for me. It doesn't surprise me that they knew where I was and for what reasons, but it was nice of them to reassure me like this on occasion. It makes us feel like a strange family of sorts rather than just co-workers.

My slight laughter was interrupted soon after though. As I turned to look at the source of the light footsteps I heard, I was pleased to see Miss Nagato had showed up as promised. She looked exactly as she did moments ago at the club meeting, minus any school bags. Maybe she stopped at her home first?

"It's good to see you Nagato-san. I hope I'm not too early."

"You are not," she replied without hesitation.

Nagato quietly sat next to me on the park bench and stared forward. She was as still and lifeless as always, but I could still see the light reflecting off her eyes as naturally as ever. There was nothing scary about this alien at all.

I waited a bit, but after a minute or so, it became clear Miss Nagato wasn't going to say anything. I suppose she hadn't entered emergency mode yet. That's a good thing though. Experience has taught me to avoid emergencies.

"So did you know I'd be waiting for you here?"

"Yes."

She didn't even turn to face me. If it were anyone else I'd be offended, but this brevity suits her.

"I'm quite curious. What is it you need me for? It must be pretty serious if you can't handle it alone."

"In approximately three hours Suzumiya Haruhi will create an abnormal data jurisdiction that cannot be comprehended by the Integrated Data Sentient Entity. Unlike previous jurisdictions she has formed, this one will pose problems that could render me and several others unable to continue observations of her."

"Data jurisdiction?"

"Suzumiya Haruhi has the power to create and alter Data in ways that are not replicable by any other known entitiy. She regularly creates a designated space that is entirely under the jurisdiction of her Data only, however, none of them have interfered before now."

There can only be one thing Nagato is referring to…

"You mean Closed Space, correct?"

"Correct."

"So this means that at some point tonight, a Closed Space will occur, but this one will cause something that previous ones haven't, enough to affect you and your faction?"

"Suzumiya Haruhi will disappear from this world. When that happens, I will be unable to take action to resolve this issue."

At last, Nagato-san turned her head to face me. She didn't continue afterward. She merely stared, as if to let me know that this was the important part.

I don't need to be informed this was important though. Did I even hear correctly? Suzumiya will disappear from the world? What could that even mean? If it's involving a Closed Space, then that would mean…

"Nagato-san, is there any way to prevent this from happening?"

"The Integrated Data Sentient Entity has no knowledge on how data jurisdiction set forth by Suzumiya Haruhi functions. Without knowing what will trigger this event, I have no way of preventing it. However, you are capable of interacting with Data created by Suzumiya Haruhi, as your Data has been similarly altered. Although I cannot do anything directly, this ability can prove useful in preventing Suzumiya Haruhi's disappearance from becoming a permanent condition."

That would definitely be a problem if Suzumiya's disappearance were permanent. From what I understand, it seems that access to Closed Space will become necessary once Suzumiya vanishes. I'd prefer to prevent this incident altogether, but if worst comes to worst, I at least know that Closed Spaces are something I can usually handle.

"I think I understand now…"

Throughout the entire evening, I sensed Suzumiya's mood worsening, but nothing serious has happened yet. Not even another Closed Space. Miss Nagato said we have about three hours. Would it be best if I waited until then and planned out my actions in the meantime, or should I take action now before it's too late?

I'm not sure how much time had passed, but eventually Nagato and I were left in silence, until she got up without a word and began walking away on her own. Unsure what to do myself, I got up and followed, figuring I should stick around.

"Do you mind if I come with you?"

"I don't."

I wish I had the foresight to check the time before now, but while walking I at least checked my phone to confirm it was now past 8. My parents probably wouldn't be pleased at me staying out so late on a school night, but this was an emergency to end all emergencies. I'm sure they'd have understood.

By the time I felt anxious enough to check the time again, twenty minutes had transpired. In that time, Nagato and I began walking down the path I took to get here. At first I assumed we were headed for the school, as this path would lead us back to North High. Eventually though, the two of us reached an intersection and Nagato paused, facing a new direction.

"Where exactly are you headed, if I may ask?"

"Home."

The alien girl watched me silently under the light of the streets. After a short pause she continued, this time looking me in the eye, like a concerned human would.

"I am unable to assist you further at the moment. If you require my assistance in returning Suzumiya once you take action, I will do so. However, you are now informed of everything I know about this situation. If you have the current situation under control, I will let you continue without interruption."

"Are you certain you can't assist me? You've been excellent help so far."

"I can take action as needed, though I am uncertain how much help this will provide. My understanding of Suzumiya Haruhi's Data is heavily limited."

"If there's anything you could do, I think we'd all be better off having you there. If possible, I'd like to prevent this incident as soon as possible. You know more about what will happen than I do, after all. I'm sure that gives you a very useful advantage."

Miss Nagato continued to stand as she had been when she began speaking. The two of us were under the same intersection, having missed our chance to use the crosswalk. Thankfully no one was around but the quick to pass cars on the road.

I've got a little over two hours to prepare, Nagato-san. I can wait as much as I need to.

"I will accompany you."

For the first time in a week, I feel as if I had accomplished something. With Nagato's help, I'm sure things will go well. Now I just need to prepare for this Closed Space that will soon form. Of course, this leaves a few problems.

As I've just been informed, tonight's Closed Space will be different. Previous ones posed no threat to Miss Nagato or her alien faction, but this next one will be problematic. What if it functions differently? There could be more than just Celestials involved this time.

As I felt Suzumiya grow worse by the minute, I knew there wasn't much time left. Things would likely reach their peak once she went to bed. That's when things usually turn sour as far as Closed Spaces are concerned.

It would be helpful if I took advantage of my current information source though.

"Nagato-san, do you know what Miss Suzumiya is doing right now."

"She was last seen heading toward her home. I have no way of knowing what specific actions she is currently taking."

That turned up a dead end. I was about to ask more questions when Nagato finally began walking again, this time continuing the path we began toward North High. I followed once more, not needing to question our destination once I saw the hill leading up to school up ahead.

When we finally arrived, Nagato stopped abruptly once more, staring forward at the school we just left earlier this evening. Somehow, I got the feeling I knew why we came here. Maybe my esper powers sensed some kind of disturbance that was already forming, but it didn't take much logic to figure it out on my own.

"Is this where the Closed Space will form?" I asked.

"Yes."

Looking for a good place to stand without blocking any nearby roads should someone drive by and ask what two suspicious students were doing at school in the middle of the night, I began to pace around the edge of the school grounds. Thankfully there were no teachers around anymore, or at least, none that would notice us walking around. Now was the time to think ahead.

Over the next couple of hours, I asked any questions that popped into my head, but the bank of Nagato had little information that could be invested into any new ideas. She did warn me that this was beyond her understanding though. I'm sure Miss Nagato is doing a better job than I would if she had any alien-related inquiries to ask of me.

Possibly the most important moment of this time was when I asked about Kyon. If this was the final moments of our story, we'll definitely be needing our hero. I considered merely calling him, or possibly even heading for his home once more as I did the night before, but something led me to inquire our all knowing alien once again.

"What about Kyon? Does he have a connection to all this?"

"[Kyon] will disappear from the world alongside Suzumiya Haruhi. I do not know the exact reasons, but he will be involved."

At that moment I was kicking myself for not asking sooner. Of course this would involve Kyon. I've been so focused on my own duties, I forgot to check on how the most important individual involved would be connected to all this.

I'll have to curse my getting distracted later. This changes a few things. I made it my responsibility to inform Kyon on everything he needs to know when the right moment occurred, and that seems to be now. Any minute now, he and Suzumiya will be whisked away, and what those two do after could very well change the world forever.

"Suzumiya-san and Kyon will disappear once the Closed Space is formed, correct?"

"No. Some time will elapse before the two will disappear."

"And do you know where they will go? If they wont be in this world, then which world will they instead be in?"

"Suzumiya Haruhi and [Kyon] should appear within the Data jurisdiction being formed. However, I have no way of verifying this information."

Just as I suspected. Whatever happens will be up to Kyon, but how will he know what to do? I've been relying on him to figure it out on his own so far, but that was only because I had nothing else to offer. If these future events will involve Closed Space though, it's possible for me to help after all, and I intend to help in any way I can.

Our hero needs his friends and allies by his side. No hero should ever be left alone.

Of course, the question still remained of what I needed to do, but I knew time was running up. It was now getting late. I already received a call from my mother once it became too late even by my standards. Thankfully I managed to make an excuse about staying with a friend from my club activities, but that probably raised further worries I'll have to deal with later. Soon after I was too anxious to ask any more questions.

At a few points I considered contacting Mori-san, but I'm uncertain what I would say. Especially since she's possibly more informed than I am still by this point. As the estimated time for the Closed Space forming appeared, I knew things would soon begin to get hectic. For now, it was waiting.

…

You know, dreams are always something that fascinated me, especially after I became an esper. When we go to sleep, our bodies are no longer active, but our minds continue to function after we lose consciousness, which results in unconscious dreams.

I wonder what Suzumiya-san dreams about…

When it happened, I immediately knew something was wrong. Closed Space had formed, and it was a strange feeling. For the first time, I managed to "see" a Closed Space form right before me, but in a way, it didn't suddenly appear is it usually feels when I detect one from far away. When I first noticed the sensation that only resulted from Closed Space, it seemed as if that feeling had always been there the entire night. Almost as if this is how Suzumiya had always wished things to be.

"I sense it. Closed Space."

"It should be empty. Neither Suzumiya Haruhi nor [Kyon] have disappeared yet."

"In that case, it's not too late to see what can be done. Thank you Nagato-san. I'll see what I can do from here."

I prepared myself for whatever awaited me. This Closed Space felt the same as all the ones before, but I knew it wasn't the same. In a few moments, it would draw in Miss Suzumiya and Kyon, removing them from this world in a way that's different from us espers. It could be very different on the inside. Possibly even dangerous. But there was no time to take things slow. My mind would have to think about all the precautions as I went along. The time had come to see what can be done to finally prepare our two heroes for the end.

I stepped forward, knowing that the next step I took after would take me into Closed Space. I moved onward, anticipating the strange sensation that comes with leaving this world.

Instead, I was once again greeted by…nothing.

I stopped and looked down, then around me. I was still in the same place. The sounds of the city could be heard in the distance, and Nagato-san was still at my side. I could sense the edge of the Closed Space clear as day. It was now behind me, but I was still in the real world.

What was happening?

"This is definitely a problem. I've never had problems entering Closed Space before…"

"…"

Miss Nagato looked onward with the same expression as always. If I didn't know any better I'd say she almost looked concerned. Maybe she was hoping I could fix things by now. I'm sorry for letting you down, Nagato-san.

"Can you tell if there's something different about this Closed Space, Nagato-san?"

"I don't know. No Data created by Suzumiya Haruhi is recognizable. She possesses the ability to manipulate Data in ways that should not be possible. I cannot tell if this instance has any significant changes that were not previously present."

Another dead end…

"However," she continued. "I am able to detect no changes in your Data, including the changes made by Suzumiya Haruhi. You have not been affected in any detectable way."

Or not. If my abilities haven't been affected, that means my powers should work. I can still sense the Closed Space after all. If this is the case, then this is definitely something wrong with the Closed Space. It seems Suzumiya has created a Closed Space that cannot be accessed with my powers.

As expected, my phone made an alert. That must be Mori-san.

_This is an emergency. We will pick you up shortly. _

Whatever is happening, it looks like the Organization is just as baffled as the IDSE. This can't be any good.

"Nagato-san, do you know if it's still possible for us to enter this Closed Space?"

"Data alterations from Suzumiya Haruhi are required to enter her jurisdiction. Only she can manipulate a code to match that of the Data jurisdiction of this area."

So only Suzumiya can enter the Closed Space now? Unless she makes any more changes to us espers, there's nothing we can do. She's in complete control of the situation, and yet she'll be disappearing shortly. Is there even any time left?

"It is still possible to bypass the barrier into her jurisdiction without an exact code."

What? So there's still hope?

"Raw Data formed by Suzumiya Haruhi is required. I will need to detect more Data similar to yours."

"Similar to mine? How about more espers? There should be others near here."

"That could work. "

We have an opening. It's not too late. We could possibly prevent this disaster before it occurs. There's still the matter of Suzumiya's mood, but if we can prevent that mood from affecting the world for now, we can at least buy more time for Kyon to try and make her happy without anyone else being affected.

"Can you do it now, Nagato-san?"

"Yes. However, I need to search for the appropriate Data. I currently do not know where it exists in this space, nor is it something I am familiar with, therefore I do not know how long it will take. I also cannot say for certain what can be done with this Data at the moment."

Before I could reply, the sound of a car pulling over reminded me of the world I was still in. I turned to see Arakawa-san and Mori-san watching me from the car's windows. Neither of them spoke, though I suppose they were being cautious, especially since I was with a non-Organization member.

I excused myself away from Miss Nagato and walked over to my two companions. Mori-san especially seemed more concerned than usual, although Arakawa-san greeted me with the same smile he always wore, which I admit, was very reassuring.

"Koizumi, something new has occurred. There could be no time to waste. How much do you know?"

"I'm afraid all I know about the Closed Space is that I failed to enter it. It appears to be different somehow."

"Suzumiya's mental state has been dropping drastically all day," Mori-san said, with her voice showing signs of her constantly lowering composure. "This is the third Closed Space in a row to appear like this. Do you have any ideas, Koizumi?"

"Miss Nagato just informed me that it is possible we may enter the Closed Space, though there's no guarantee."

"What does the young miss propose?" interrupted Arakawa-san.

Suddenly, all three of us turned to face the alien girl who was still watching my back after I left her a few feet away. She looked like a child soldier awaiting her orders, but I still wasn't entirely sure what she needed.

"Nagato-san," I said, "you said you don't know how to find the Data you need that may help us. How can we help you with your search?"

Nagato stared silently at the two adults in the taxi cab I just spoke to. She remained silent. Could it be she's shy? I can't say this is the most appropriate time for such cute developments.

Mori-san nodded in approval at some sort of inaudible statement and opened the door on her side as elegantly as possible. Now that she had an audience she's not well acquainted with, her formal business nature took light again.

"Miss Nagato, I understand you have been collaborating with the young Mister Koizumi here. I don't know much about you, but if there is any way we may assist you, please, let me know."

Mori-san gave a proper bow and held it for what seemed like several minutes. Nagato-san merely looked at her, then back at me, before finally turning back at Mori-san's downward facing form to open her mouth and finally speak again in her low voice.

"I will be able to process Data quicker if I knew of the exact locations of the individuals who have been affected by Suzumiya Haruhi's Data manipulation."

"Hmm?" was all Mori-san could reply with. I wonder if she was a little surprised at hearing Nagato speak for the first time.

"Do you mean all the nearby espers?"

Arakawa-san spoke once more to hurry things along. Silent once again, Nagato merely nodded slightly. At least I think it was a nod.

"That could be arranged…"

Mori-san hesitated for a moment before pulling out her phone and pressing some keys. I can only assume she's become a professional when it comes to contacting other Organization members.

"Do you require me to call them all here Miss Nagato?"

"That wont be necessary. I only require their collective Data. As long as I know where I may detect them, a possible course of action can be taken."

Part of me wondered if Miss Nagato didn't want more people involved. If she needs to know where everyone is then I can assume it would be easier for her to execute her plans if everyone were here with us, but I suppose having a handful of strangers show up and acknowledge her presence as a TFEI would be going against her character.

Mori-san performed a few more actions with her phone before giving us a proper smile.

"There. I have the information you need. Is there anything else?"

"No."

After Nagato-san stood still for a bit too long, Mori-san began to slowly inch forward to hand over her phone. I sensed neither of the two individuals involved in this transaction were completely comfortable, but as long as things were being done.

Miss Nagato stared at the small screen in front of her for several minutes. Mori-san's arm twitched ever so slightly while her mind seemed to be questioning what actions needed to be taken before she could put away her phone again. I'm sure in the back of all our heads we were questioning if sharing such information was allowed, but Mori-san was smart enough to know this was no time for such questions. All the while, everyone was quiet.

After a few minutes I checked the time. It was well past a half hour since the Closed Space appeared. I began to wonder how much time was left, when Mori's phone came to life unexpectedly. A sharp tone was let out and the young woman pulled the screen away from the still observing alien.

"Ah, e-excuse me. This must be important."

"Understood."

Mori-san backed away a bit and left the alien girl to her business while she checked her message. It must've involved voice-mail, as she then put the phone to her ear. I guess now I know she doesn't do all her business by text.

Because she was facing my direction now, I could see in her facial expressions what she was just told. Her eyes widened.

"Suzumiya-san has disappeared."

And so we entered the final chapter of tonight's story. Over the next hour or so, Mori-san made several calls, some were quiet, others apparently hectic. I had informed them of everything Nagato-san had told me earlier while she worked on searching for the Data she needed. Eventually, we were all left silent once more.

Arakawa-san was once again the one to break the ice.

"Mori, there are several Organization members who need matters attended to after all this. Perhaps we should see to that while Koizumi handles things with his friend."

Mori-san looked between me and Arakawa-san with a look of painful doubt. I'm sure she was unprepared for the stress of tonight, but she was managing to look professional during all this. After a deep sigh she motioned to the cab and closed the door behind her.

"Koizumi, we are counting on you. Let me know if any other situations arise."

The two in the car gave one last glance at Miss Nagato before offering a final look of approval each. Though I sensed they weren't completely comfortable leaving everything to someone outside their Organization, they silently gave us their permission. If either of them get in trouble for this, I'll obviously take the blame for it.

The car drove off, leaving me alone again with Miss Nagato. She seemed more still than usual. I'm not sure how long looking for Data usually takes, but she said Suzumiya's was a kind she's unfamiliar with, so I assume it's not the simplest of tasks. I chose to let her finish in peace.

All the while I could sense the Closed Space growing stronger. The space it encompassed had not increased oddly enough, as expected when one grows with Suzumiya's mood. It merely remained as a perfect dome surrounding the school grounds, all the while I could sense Suzumiya's presence in a way I've never sensed before. It definitely wasn't in the same world as the one I was in, so she must definitely be in the empty recreated school she's formed.

Suzumiya felt so close, yet completely gone at this moment. And it seems Kyon is in a similar state along with her, somewhere in this mysterious new space that formed before us.

Perhaps out of impatience I began to pace around the school grounds. Miss Nagato stayed in her position, not even acknowledging my movements. I opted to stay within eyesight of he, though I'm sure she wouldn't mind or notice.

As the night grew thicker, I began to worry. There were no updates from Nagato, and answers were growing more sparse. Amidst all this trouble, I almost leapt out of my skin when I heard a noise off by the corner.

After hearing a thump, both Nagato and I walked over to the bushes and found another intruder in all this.

"Oww, how did I…"

Well this was certainly a surprise. Hiding in the dark was none other than our local time traveler in the flesh, Miss Asahina Mikuru. From the way she was kneeled on the ground in her casual sweater, you'd think she had just gotten out of bed to meet us here.

"Ah! K-Koizumi-san. Nagato-san! What are you doing here?"

Of all the people to be asking that, I don't think Miss Asahina should be the one with that honour. Was she perhaps spying on us? I can't think of any other reason she'd be hiding out here. Then again, I can't think of any reason for her to hide from us either. I guess she didn't feel as welcome to my assistance as Miss Nagato.

"I figured you'd know what was happening, Miss Asahina. In that case, does this suggest we've all been gathered here by chance?"

The cute time traveler slowly wobbled over to us, with a look of genuine shock. If this is all a front, I'd have to ask Asahina-san for some acting lessons. The coincidence was high, but in my line of work, coincidences are not something to easily dismiss.

"Why are you two together…?"

The worried young girl looked back and forth at myself and my companion. It was as if she could tell how much she had missed out on and was already feeling left out. If meeting Asahina-san was truly an unplanned incident, then I'll definitely make good use of this.

Without hesitation, I explained the situation once again, this time a bit more rushed. All the while, Miss Nagato silently continued as she was by my side while Miss Asahina tried her best to follow along. She looked like she was struggling to follow along whilst watching a new program for the first time.

On one hand, explaining all this to yet another party made it easier to avoid the added anxiety of waiting for Nagato to try her best. I didn't enjoy forcing her to do so much work, but now that we could possibly have someone else to help out, maybe things will finally get done with ease.

As Miss Asahina began to slowly comprehend the situation, her worried expression began to shift from her usual manner to the more involved inquiries I had with her when we last spoke during the weekend. Almost instantly her body language began to shift as she seemed to demonstrate a clear understanding of what was happening. She definitely didn't need the demonstrations that Kyon did.

"I don't understand. Why is this happening now?" she asked.

And there lies the question of the day. Why now? What drove Suzumiya-san to seal herself away for the first time ever? Does this mean that Suzumiya is now gone forever? Is she perhaps leaving this world to form a new one without us? I guess this means we finally pushed her beyond her limits, to the point where she had no choice but to give up on us.

"It's all my fault…"

I heard my own thoughts spoken aloud by an unexpected source. The words being spoken came from Miss Asahina, now standing up straight with her head pointed straight down. Maybe she really does understand more than she lets on.

"If Suzumiya-san has given up on this world, then I can only blame myself for pushing her to the edge. I-it's all my fault…"

Seeing Asahina nearing tears gave me mixed feelings. It was nice knowing another individual saw the true value of Suzumiya as a human being who needed friends, like I did, but it also meant that even with all of us trying our best, the SOS Brigade has let its Captain down.

"That's definitely a possibility," I spoke, "but whoever gave Suzumiya her last push was merely the straw that broke the camel's back. Neither one of us gave her a reason to stay. In that sense, we're all to blame in one way or another. The only one who was taken with her was Kyon."

"B-but…if Kyon-kun's the only one who made Suzumiya-san happy, then I really did ruin it…"

"Why is that?"

For a moment I thought I was speaking to a certain alien when I got no response. I suppose you can say that silence was the answer to my question though, as I immediately understood something I haven't before because of it.

Asahina Mikuru is a human from the future. She is a time traveler. Above all that though, she is a young woman currently enrolled as a high school student. For the longest time, this was the quality I wanted people to notice about Miss Suzumiya, and yet I've been ignoring an important fact lately.

Human beings are unstable, especially at such young ages. I know just as well as anyone how stressful things can get at times. The one thing I forgot though was how easily things can go downhill for us. One minor mistake can lead to one of the worst days of our lives.

Despite this though, we somehow manage to survive such days. Suzumiya is a strong girl. She could get past whatever's troubling her, if only we had the time. But what is troubling her exactly? I only had speculation just now, but it seems someone else involved knows more.

Miss Suzumiya has a private life. She spent time with her close friend Kyon yesterday afternoon, but things didn't work out the way she expected. And now Miss Asahina is confirming that she could have had a hand in it. Did something happen? Maybe Kyon had some time traveling adventures alongside his alien and esper field trips. This could lead to some misunderstandings in some situations given what Asahina has just pointed out.

Suzumiya truly cares for Kyon. He is special to her, and presently, the only one she is still invested in. He was her only hope for this world, but something managed to push her beyond such hopes. Maybe something got in the way of those two. For a normal human, this would be an unpleasant turn of events, but for Suzumiya, this one moment of weakness could lead to the end of the entire world.

Then there lies the answer. In order to bring Suzumiya out of her melancholic state, we need to mend her young heart with the power of Kyon. None of this saving the world business is important to Suzumiya. That's our concern. What we need to do is bring her closer to the one she cares about the most. But how?

"What about Nagato-san?"

Asahina's question dragged me from my thoughts as I was reminded of the solution we've been working on.

"You said she could help?"

"Miss Nagato is currently looking for information that could help me breach the Closed Space."

The small alien girl before us blinked for the first time all night and finally spoke once her cue was given.

"I am unable to interact with Suzumiya Haruhi's Data jurisdiction, or anything within. The Data surrounding the individuals affected by her original program is still manageable however."

So does that mean she found it?

"I cannot alter any Data created by Suzumiya Haruhi, but it is now possible to temporarily utilize Data already created for those under her influence to form a substitute program strong enough to bypass her jurisdiction. I can use this to grant one single individual access to Suzumiya Haruhi's Data jurisdiction."

"We can reach Suzumiya-san and Kyon-kun?"

This is perfect! If I just heard Nagato-san correctly, she just utilized all known espers' abilities to form a hole in the barrier to Closed Space. If I can get inside, that only leaves us with the matter of what to do in there.

"Kyon-kun needs to become closer to Miss Suzumiya…"

Asahina-san gave me the most serious look I've ever seen her deliver.

"I have to say I agree. If anyone can get us out of this, it's definitely Kyon. Only he can satisfy Miss Suzumiya now. I can only hope I can get this message across to him and assist somehow if I enter Closed Space."

"It's all my fault. Kyon-kun…he shouldn't have to work for my mistakes. Tell him I'm sorry. I'll wish them both good luck."

Support and well wishes from their close friends and fellow club members. It's not much, but I think this is what Kyon and Suzumiya need now more than anything.

"There is more."

Asahina and I went silent. Nagato-san spoke once again.

"The Data used is insufficient. You should be able to penetrate the barrier, but it will be difficult to maintain physical form for long."

"I see. So I only have a small window of opportunity then?" I asked.

"For approximately three minutes. It is possible to extend communications, but a connection from inside will be necessary."

"Three minutes might not be enough. How can I open a connection for you?"

"Activate a computer."

Is that really all it takes? A computer in the hands of a Data-based life form shouldn't be a problem at all. If that's the case, I think we're all set.

"Alright then, I'll do my best."

I turned back to North High and checked once more to see if anything was there. The building before us was still and lifeless, but in another world inside it, our two friends awaited us. With the help of Miss Nagato, I should be able to now enter Closed Space. Let's hope this works.

I took a step forward and waited. I didn't wait for long.

After closing my eyes for one second, my other senses were greeted with an eerie environment that can only come from one source. I was in Closed Space.

I quickly scanned my surroundings and found nothing. So far it looked like any other Closed Space. I suppose that's a good thing. I'd be more worried if this one were different on the inside as well.

Looking down, I flexed my arms and fingers to see if my esper powers could work. I saw that familiar red glow and knew things were okay, only to immediately be shocked by yet another frightening revelation. My mind was now clouded by white noise, similar to the sound of air from outside. My vision also began fading as well.

Nagato-san was right. I can get through alright, but I wont be able to stay in this world for much longer. Without wasting any more time, I exerted all my strength into maintaining form. It was an odd yet familiar sensation. It was essentially me having to transform into a flaming esper form again, but this time I had to do this merely to remain conscious in this world.

I had to hurry.

Thankfully, I sensed Suzumiya's location nearby. It was one of the buildings near where I entered. By flying, I should be able to reach there soon. Rising from the ground, I flew there.

One of my biggest concerns was what I'd do once I get there. If I can only stay in Closed Space as a glowing ball of red light, it might be more difficult to explain things to Suzumiya than expected, and I have no time to explain things. I'll need to find Kyon first.

Heading in the direction of Suzumiya, I could tell from the building exactly where the two would be. Suzumiya was currently inside the SOS Brigade clubroom, and I can only hope Kyon is in there too. As I flew closer to my destination, I was relieved to sense Suzumiya's movements. She was leaving. That meant I could enter the clubroom without her there, which was proving to be my best choice given by the face I saw through that window.

Staring outside at the barren North High from the top of the Old Complex was Kyon, all alone in the clubroom without Suzumiya anywhere to be seen. This was too perfect, I had to hurry and take advantage of this timing.

From the empty sky, I flew down and tried my best to reach out to Kyon. Even if I could stay longer, I couldn't stop using my esper powers when suspended several feet off the ground. It's a good thing I showed Kyon what esper warriors looked like beforehand, or he might not have recognized me.

"Koizumi? Is that you?"

Kyon's voice was definitely soothing to the ears. Based off the look in his eyes, I'm betting he's happy to see someone new after being alone in here for who knows how long. He definitely spoke with a hint of impatience.

"Took you long enough to show up. I figured you'd appear in human form though…"

I struggled to expel my voice outward through what I can only assume looks nothing like the head of a normal human being.

"Things have gotten a bit complicated, so there's a lot to explain. Under normal circumstances, I can enter Closed Space easily, but not this time. I can only appear to you in this incomplete form, and even then I needed help. I don't have much time either. My powers are weakening as we speak."

And sure enough, I could feel my control over my own abilities growing weaker. It was as if any minute now, the ball of light that held me suspended outside the clubroom would expel me out into the world I came from. It sure made things a little hectic, but I had a mission to pull off.

"Just what's going on here? Is it just me and Haruhi here?"

"Yes. It's as we feared. I'm afraid Suzumiya has grown tired of this world and is creating a new reality. No one knows what will happen. Though it's possible our world can survive and Miss Suzumiya will return shortly, it could also vanish completely any minute now."

"What are you trying to say?!"

"To put it simply, you and Suzumiya-san have disappeared from our world and appeared here. This world is like the Closed Spaces of before, but it seems to be different. It's possible all the ones before now were just drills and Suzumiya has now decided to take action with this one."

"So what? Am I gonna live in this world alone with Haruhi now?"

"I guess you're like the new Adam and Eve. I'm sure this Space is only temporary. Very soon, it will likely be replaced with a world similar to ours. But it will be a different world, with only you two as survivors of the old one. If another version of me exists in this new world, be sure to look out for him."

"I'm so gonna kick your ass."

There's the same Kyon as always. I've never felt closer to Kyon in my life. Now I definitely don't want to lose him or Suzumiya. Not that I wanted to before.

"Before I forget, I have some messages for you. It's possible you and Miss Suzumiya can return to our world, but only if she wishes for it. You're the only one who can do this now, so we're counting on you to make her happy."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"You're the only one she wished to take with her. If anyone can make the old world worth living in, it's you."

The uncomfortable silence that followed made me think Kyon wasn't ready still for this reality, but the time has come for our hero to do his job. Only Kyon can fix this now.

Confirming this fact was my slowly diminishing body of light. I think my three minutes are up. I need to finish up quickly.

"Oh, and I also have messages from our fellow SOS Brigade members. Asahina Mikuru says she's sorry. She's blaming herself for all this."

"Why would-"

"And Nagato Yuki wants you to turn on the computer."

The last thing I saw was Kyon turning around to face the computer behind him. Now I know he heard me clearly. My mission was done. With the last of my strength fleeing my body, I soon felt that familiar tingle of shifting between worlds.

The next thing I sensed was the world I had left moments ago. Both Asahina Mikuru and Nagato Yuki were right where I left them, with myself having returned to the spot I took off from. Both of them looked still. I wonder how long I was gone for.

"I did what I could," I said as calmly as I could. "I think I got the message across, but just to be safe, you can resume communications, Miss Nagato."

"Understood."

Under the quiet night, the three of us stood without moving. Miss Nagato continued to use her alien abilities in ways that would likely overload my mind, but in the end, she merely stared blankly in front of her for a few minutes, calmly let out an "It's done," and then began walking home as quietly as she came.

A few minutes later, Miss Asahina gave her quiet goodbyes and departed as well. Once I finished my part, everyone wrapped things up and left as quickly as we arrived. Shortly after that I began to head home as well, knowing that the real action was still going on in Closed Space. For the rest of us though, our jobs were done.

It's a bit of an uncomfortable feeling. I had hoped the girls would stay with me and waited things out, but the harsh reality is that the world is indeed moving on. In a few hours it will be morning, and we all have school to attend. It's amazing how such thoughts popped into my mind at a time like this, but logically speaking, there was no reason to wait around. I'll have to wait until morning.

It was a long walk, and the world was still. Since I excused myself earlier, no one was awake when I returned to my home, and I received no messages from Mori or Arakawa-san. Looking at the clock, I saw that I wouldn't have much time to sleep before my next day officially began. It was as if nothing had happened and the fate of the world never hung in the balance.

I tried resting for a while, but there was no point. The life of a side character was not an easy one.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally received the message from my phone I waited so long for, finally giving me a chance to rest at ease.

_Suzumiya and[Kyon] are both in their homes now._

And with that, our story finally came to a close.

* * *

><p>The next day went by as always. I went to class and spoke with my classmates without any hiccups, if only for a few yawns here or there. I'll have to get plenty of rest tonight when I get the chance.<p>

According to my sources, the world is exactly as it was before, with no visible signs of changes. The Closed Space containing our friends had disappeared and everyone had returned to their plain normal lives.

I wished to speak with Kyon and the others, but school managed to take a surprising amount of priority. After passing by Kyon in the halls, I only had time to thank him and let him know that everything was stable once more. I wanted to discuss what went on after I left for home, but it seems Kyon's secret will be left to himself. Suzumiya had woken up in her bed a few hours ago and likely assumed the entire incident was a dream, assuming she remembered anything at all.

I'm not complaining though. Such is the life of the supporting cast. We play our parts, no matter how small, and we walk away without a word, only with the satisfaction of doing a job well done. It was now the hero's turn to enjoy the spotlight.

Later on I managed to give a wave to a shy Asahina-san as we passed by during lunch-time and received the same simple gesture in return. We were all like normal high school students now, enjoying our life as always.

Of course, it was never about whether we enjoyed this life or not. The true question was whether we'd have Suzumiya's company in our enjoyment of this peaceful life.

So how was she doing?

"Mikuru, you gotta bend over! Nurse's are the most seductive women on the planet, so you'll have to learn how to show off that body more and play your part!"

"_Kyaa~_"

After school, I saw the first proper meeting of the SOS Brigade since the week before. It was definitely not what one would consider a "normal" club activity, but it was really just five young students having fun after school without a care in the world.

Despite this, Miss Suzumiya had a smile the entire afternoon. Whatever brought about her prior mental state had now been washed away, thanks especially to Kyon, who was satisfied with merely watching Suzumiya and Asahina-san practice how to make the best of the new nurse outfit Suzumiya had bought for her fellow Brigade member.

I'll have to ask her how she gets these costumes on such short notice.

I guess in the end, last night wasn't a big deal at all. Just another bad day, something we've all experienced at some point or another, only with less severe consequences than the ones we faced last night. But just like the sexy outfit our Captain had prepared for Miss Asahina beforehand, the SOS Brigade was something Suzumiya already had plans for, and last night finally put her back on track to resume those activities.

For now, Suzumiya seemed content, and although I didn't know the full story of everyone involved, I was glad to have a part in all this.

Here's to the SOS Brigade.

_**Author's Notes**_

And here we have it. The story that took me a whole year to write. I'm sure many in the fanfiction community are familiar with schedule slips, but this was definitely a grueling task. Koizumi is one of my favourite characters, but he's definitely not the easiest to write for.

All in all, these first three stories were definitely not easy to write. My goal with this project was to write each chapter as if the original books didn't exist, thus making it so anyone could jump in without any knowledge from the series beforehand. I think I failed, especially with Century Blues, which is a shame I'll have to live with now, as is par for the Internet, but at least I can save face and say it wasn't all my fault.

The original first book in the Haruhi series was clearly written without a series in mind. It worked as a standalone novel and thus left many holes and questions that were never meant to be answered. This meant that I as forced to include a lot more fanfictiony moments than I'm comfortable with, and I also had to rewrite certain scenes three times now when only one would have sufficed. Unfortunately, much of the first novel loses its kick when you view it from a perspective other than Kyon's. Neither Haruhi, nor Mikuru or Koizumi's POV stories could tell a complete story, and I feel like I was obligated to redo _Melancholy_ more times than was necessary simply because the original source material left me with no choice.

Still, a lot of writing hiccups were my own fault, but that's what fanfiction is for. You work with what you have and try to improve, cause we're all just here to have fun with the serieses we love. With luck, I can now write some of the chapters I've actually been wanting to write with less trouble having to translate them into something complete, which should be much easier with later novels in the series.

So to those of you still willing to read my stuff, I hope you continue to enjoy and love the series along with me, and don't forget to love your lolis too while you're at it.


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